Bound by Honor
by CelestialGolden
Summary: After the defeat of Naraku, Kagome learns that her fate is much more complicated than being the guardian of the Shikon no Tama. With evidence that a war unlike any other is about to be waged across the land, she turns away from the comfort of a normal life and attempts to change the course of history for the better. Who better to accompany her than a stoic taiyoukai? Sess/Kag
1. 1 The Longest Night

Bound by Honor

By: CelestialGolden

Chapter 1: The Longest Night

Kagome awoke to an eerie silence. She struggled to open her eyes against what felt like lead weights. Her arms and legs felt heavy, as though she had run a marathon. The grass at her back and under her fingers was slimy, as though it were covered in…something she really didn't want to think about. A horrible ache in her side confirmed the suspicion that she had been fighting. Despite that new information, she still couldn't remember what had happened.

'Only one way to find out,' she thought. She fought against the unusual heaviness, and opened her eyes to the afternoon sky. A dull pain pounded in her head in response to the light and she closed her eyes against it, lifting her arm to block out the offending sun. There was still a terrifying stillness and overwhelming sense of wrongness in the air. There were no birds chirping, no whisper of wind across what she could only assume was a battlefield. She pushed through the incredible pain in her side as she sat up, afraid of what she would see. She only hoped that her friends were not dead.

The sight that greeted her was more horrific than anything she could have imagined. Dead youkai were strewn about the field. Everything in sight glistened with a sickly red coat of blood. She looked down at herself and saw her miko robes were torn and she was covered in small wounds that were only just beginning to sting and throb. Her side had been split open and was still oozing blood. As she struggled to stand, she felt a familiar tug at her senses. Her eyes could not pinpoint the glow through the carnage, so she picked up her bow and arrows and slowly began to make her way across the clearing. Her head continued to pound as she tried to get her bearings on exactly where she was and what had happened.

It seemed like hours that she struggled, though it was likely closer to minutes. Her side throbbed angrily with every movement and she could feel that it was bleeding again. Her breaths came in pants and she knew that she would have to treat her wound soon or she would likely bleed to death. In spite of her goal to reach the Shikon jewel, she checked every face- every gaping scream and every wide and empty eye- and with every inspection came both horror at the brutal way lives had been taken here and relief that none of these bodies belonged to her friends.

When she came to the site of the jewel's tug, she nearly screamed as what she was looking at registered in her mind. She managed to contain the sound, as it felt wrong to break the stillness of the battle field. While the other bodies on the field appeared to have been torn apart, the face she was looking into was simply frozen in stone. She was gazing into the lifeless eyes of Naraku. Everything slowly came back to her.

They had been searching for a shard of the jewel that had been rumored to be in this area when they came across a wounded Kouga. She had immediately rushed to help him and saw that his legs were mangled beyond recognition. His injuries were grave, and she had known it was serious when he and Inuyasha did not engage in their usual territorial banter. His shards had been taken and Kouga warned them of a possible ambush. They had been preparing for this battle for four long years, and they had foolishly rushed into battle, each of them eager to end Naraku's reign of terror over the Eastern lands of Japan. They were sorely outnumbered and overwhelmingly underprepared, and they paid for it early on in the battle by the loss of her bottle of shards. With them, Naraku was able to complete the Shikon no Tama and became more powerful than he ever had been before.

Kagome was immensely glad for her decision to send Shippou away on Kirara before the battle, as she was sure that at least her adopted son was ok. Kirara had returned within minutes of delivering Shippou to Kaede's village and fought alongside Sango. They had managed to cut through Naraku's first two waves of lower youkai but were not prepared to fight against the army of higher youkai that he had amassed. If Sesshoumaru had not shown up when he did, they would never have survived the battle that ensued when Naraku's army arrived.

Miroku had fallen first after taking a poison youkai into his wind tunnel. Sango had been fighting against three youkai at once and the demon was sneaking up behind her, dark miasma pouring from his ears, nose, and mouth. Before Kagome could knock an arrow to defend her friend, Miroku had removed the threat and was soon unconscious at Sango's feet as she fought to protect them both. Inuyasha had spent the majority of the battle attempting to get blows in on Naraku, who had been impossible to reach through the throngs of youkai. Sesshoumaru soon joined his brother in their attacks, leaving the generals of his army to command the attack against the horde.

Inuyasha had fallen second, Kikyou's arrow pinning him to a tree at the edge of the clearing, though he had remained conscious long enough for Inuyasha to see his brother cut her down and return her clay body to the dust. The look of utter heartbreak and betrayal that Inuyasha wore on his face was one that would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life. Desperate to save her friend, Kagome had removed the arrow and, though he had still been breathing, she could not revive him. She erected a protective barrier around him and returned to fight alongside Sesshoumaru.

Sango had fallen next. The heat and exhaustion had caused her movements to slow and her reflexes to dull. The snake demon she was fighting managed to inject her with his venom and she had succumbed to the toxins, passing out with one of her katanas still lodged in its skull. One of Sesshoumaru's generals was commanded to protect the unconscious monk and taijiya as he and Kagome continued to fight.

The battle had lasted for hours, with little progress being made. Kagome lost count of how many times Sesshoumaru picked her up when she fell and saved her from death with a quick strike of his blade. She had never thought she would find herself fighting at his side but had found it was almost natural to move together with the silver-haired taiyoukai. Together they managed to finish off the remaining youkai minions, leaving a trail of carnage in their wake. Soon Sesshoumaru's generals were commanded to retreat so that the pair could finish off Naraku. They fought him for several minutes, with the evil hanyou keeping them at bay by creating tentacle after tentacle. As her strength had begun to wane, she had whispered to Sesshoumaru, her breaths coming ragged and uneven, "We have to end this now. I'm not a youkai. I will run out of strength soon." He had merely nodded, replying with his customary "Hnn." Before she could blink he had rushed forward to distract the hanyou, using unbelievable speed as he did so. The move worked to divert Naraku's focus long enough for her to pull an arrow back, but she couldn't release it fast enough. His red eyes shifted back to her and a tentacle pierced her side.

For one horrific moment she couldn't breathe. That moment lasted what seemed like years. Her mind flashed to all the people that had been hurt or killed over the course of Naraku's reign of terror. Kagome thought of her friends, of her home in the future, of the beautiful civilization just beginning to blossom. None of that would exist if she failed. In a split second decision, she prayed to the Kami for strength and gathered all of the power she could. Though she was untrained, she knew this one trick and she prayed that it would work. She screamed as she released her powers in a wave of purification she had no hope of controlling. It was only as it was traveling outwards from her in a magnificent wall of purity that she realized Sesshoumaru would also be hit. As her vision began to go fuzzy, she erected a protective barrier around him in hopes that he would not be harmed. All she heard was Naraku's inhuman scream and she fell to the ground and everything went black.

Coming back to the present, Kagome looked down at her side and marveled at how she was still alive. Quickly, she snatched the completed Shikon no Tama from Naraku's stone grasp, the thought still in her mind that at any moment he would revive and attack her. The jewel popped from his hand and she marveled at how simple the gesture was. Upon losing contact with the jewel, his body disintegrated into a pile of unmoving dust. Kagome still could not shake the sense of foreboding. Even the wind was afraid to tread here.

Where were her friends?

She looked around the field, hoping to catch a glimpse of a red fire rat, or purple robes. She couldn't see any hint of her friends and she wasn't sure if she was glad or terrified. Kneeling in the dust, she focused her miko powers into her hands and attempted to heal her wound. Though she knew she had nowhere near enough energy to heal herself fully, she was able to seal the wound and wrap it with the torn sleeve of her robes. A shimmer in the dying light caught her eye and she stood as quickly as she dared, hoping that what she saw was not what she thought it was.

Sango's bone boomerang.

Now given proof that her friends had not been evacuated from the battlefield, Kagome knew that her time was limited. If any of them had survived, they were gravely injured and there was no sign of any allies remaining on the field. Dread coursed through her, and with a speed she hadn't known she was capable of in her current state, she reached the boomerang. It was lodged deeply in the torso of a dead bear youkai that had been part of Naraku's horde. She followed the path it had carved into the soil and her heart skipped a beat as she saw a sparkle of silly pink glitter. Sango was buried under the carnage. Kagome was quick to grab onto the youkai's body that was covering her friend, hoping that she wasn't dead. She pulled with all her might and with the aid of the still slick sheen of blood, the body slid off of her friend. Relief filled her as she noted Sango's chest rise and fall steadily, though her brow was slick with sweat and she was burning with fever. Kagome briefly thanked the Kami for the nail polish that she and Sango had enjoyed painting on each other just the night before. Without that beacon, she may never have found her friend.

She had to get her to safety and find the rest of her friends. The faint sound of an approaching storm and a hint of approaching malevolent youki meant that she would be out of time to save her friends very quickly. The blood-soaked battlefield would be a beacon to every wild thing, animal or youkai, for miles around. Kagome knew she had to get them out of there as soon as possible. Hoping that she would not reopen her wound but knowing that she had no other options, Kagome hauled her dear friend onto her shoulder. Sango shuddered in discomfort, but did not wake. A brief stretch of her senses noted the safest direction to carry her friend, and Kagome headed out of the battlefield. She knew her friends, if they were still alive, had a better chance of surviving any carrion youkai if they were still hidden by the dead.

After what seemed to be hours, Kagome came across a small empty cave in the side of a hill that appeared to have been a youkai's den. There was no trace of an aura here, and she knew this was going to be the safest place that she would find if she hoped to also have time to find her other friends before the sun slid below the horizon. Adrenaline coursed through her system and for a moment she was grateful for her fear, as she knew it was the boost she desperately needed to push her weary body. It was up to her to find the rest of her friends. Before leaving the cave, she placed a shimmering barrier across the entrance, praying that it would be able to protect Sango long enough for her to get their other friends. As she neared the clearing she saw several carrion youkai already beginning to descend on the field. She quickly dispatched them with her arrows and hoped that she had bought herself enough time to find everyone else. Knowing that Miroku had been near Sango, she went to the only spot of green she could see on the field- the empty place she had found Sango.

A few minutes of work and she managed to find Miroku, and she sighed in relief that he was also alive. She noted that he was in worse shape than her friend was and hoped that he would make it until she could treat him for his injuries. She knew the poison was still working its way through his system and wished that Myouga was present to help remove it. He was incredibly heavy- far heavier than Sango, and she struggled for several feet before laying him down once more. There was simply no way she could move him on her own, at least without something to make his weight lighter. As she looked about for something she could use, a tiny mew reached her ear. It was a piteous sound, and Kagome immediately knew that it was Kirara. Sparing a glance at Miroku, she headed towards the sound.

She was relieved to find her backpack amongst the carnage, knowing that she would have had to scour the field to find her medical supplies. A movement from the flap made her pause. She opened the top to find Kirara in her kitten form, curled up on one of her old sweaters and licking a wound on her side. Kagome picked her up and cuddled her gently and for a moment reveled in the fact that she was not alone. "Oh Kirara, I'm so glad to see you!"

Kirara mewed softly in reply before climbing gingerly onto Kagome's shoulder. She shouldered her obnoxious yellow backpack once more and headed back to where she had left Miroku. She could not carry him alone and, noting the broken arrows and swords scattered between their current position and the edge of the battlefield, she knew she could not drag him. She was startled by a blaze of flame to her left and saw that Kirara had transformed and was looking at her expectantly. The transformation had shown the true size of the wound in her side and Kagome was horrified. She quickly dropped the backpack and tried to find something she could use to stifle the bleeding. There was nothing large enough to wrap tightly around the large fire cat's flank enough times…except for the robe that she was wearing. She removed the stained haori, untying the ties with shaking fingers and using a small knife that Sango had given her for her boot, she cut it into long strips. Kirara growled in pain when she first began to wrap the wound, but soon the flow of blood began to stem and her breathing was no longer as ragged. Kagome noted with a tinge of satisfaction that though the wound was bleeding still, it had slowed significantly and she was confident that Kirara's youkai healing would be able to stop it soon.

Clad in only her bra and a pair of bloodstained hakama, Kagome half expected Miroku to sense her state of undress and to wake just to peep at her. Unfortunately, the monk remained unconscious and his breathing continued to come in slow and shallow gasps. Kirara mewed at her and crouched as low as she could with her wound, looking pointedly at the monk.

"Kirara, you can't carry all of his weight right now. You're injured too." Her words were met with a stern look. Deciding that arguing with her was going to cost more precious time, Kagome struggled to haul Miroku onto the fire cat's back. Kirara immediately began to tremble with the effort. In the hopes of reducing the load Kagome shifted her backpack to her right arm and placed her left arm under his back and hauled part of his torso onto her shoulder. Kirara mewed gratefully and together they walked to the place that Kagome had left Sango. Upon their arrival, Kagome helped Kirara to lay Miroku gently beside Sango. Checking quickly that their conditions had not worsened, Kagome dropped her heavy pack and turned to head back to the field.

"You should stay here. You need to let your side heal. The wound will reopen if you don't rest." Kagome gently prodded Kirara back towards the unconscious pair. Kirara growled and looked pointedly at Kagome's side. It was apparent she had reopened her own wound and it was beginning to bleed once more.

"I don't have a choice, Kirara. I've got to find Inuyasha." She prayed that the carrion youkai had not returned to find him first. With that thought, she decided to let Kirara do as she wished and headed as fast as she could back to the battlefield. She returned to at least a dozen minor youkai and a rather vicious looking vulture. She left the vulture to his business and dispatched the youkai as they fed, adding more temptation for the other carrion youkai she could feel approaching.

"Kirara can you tell where Inuyasha is?" She asked in hopes that her youkai friend could locate him more easily than she could. They were quickly running out of time. Kirara shook her head and they both split up to scour the carnage for any trace of her friend. Kagome searched, desperately hoping to see a shock of silver hair or an ear- anything that would give her a hint as to his location. She was so afraid that he was dead. He should have awoken by now. He was hanyou, and she was human, so surely he would have recovered already if he was still alive.

Just as she was beginning to lose all hope that he was alive, Kagome heard a groan to her left. She rushed to the source of the sound, calling to Kirara as she tried to pick her way across the field. What she found shocked her to her core. She had found Inuyasha, unconscious and injured to the point where he was almost unrecognizable. That fact alone was terrifying, but what scared Kagome most was the fact that his hair was no longer silver, but a deep midnight black.

He was human.

She glanced up at the orange and red-stained evening sky to see a full moon. This was not his night of weakness. Something else had turned him human and the wounds he had sustained in battle were now even worse than they were before. She cursed herself for not looking for him first- for not carrying him to safety and sealing his wounds first. She had very little time before he would be too far gone to save. She should have brought her pack, she thought, as she ripped fabric from her hakama and tried to patch the more serious wounds. He was covered in blood and dirt, and she knew from his labored breathing that he likely already had an infection. It would be a long recovery, if he recovered at all. Her heart clenched in her chest and tears blurred her vision as she worked quickly to stem the flow of his blood. She used what miko powers she dared to try and at least seal his wounds. She couldn't afford to heal him completely, as she knew she would pass out from the effort and none of her friends would make it if she wasn't awake to protect and heal them. Her powers were weakened from the blast she had used to kill Naraku earlier that day.

As the bleeding began to slow, Kagome spared a glance at the face of the man she had been in love with for the majority of her teen years. She still loved him deeply, though now it was less of a romantic love and more that of a dear friend. She could not let him die now, after he had finally gained so much of what he had spent his whole life searching for. He had friends, a village to protect, and his brother had finally accepted him. He was no longer alone and she would not let him die this way. With that thought, she renewed her efforts and stopped using her miko powers to heal him only when she felt herself fatiguing too much. The only wound that she could not slow the bleeding was the one in his chest, where Kikyou's arrow had pierced him. She wrapped that wound as tightly as she could and looked down at her now calf-length hakama and bloodstained bra. She hoped that she had enough bandages and clothing back at camp to properly bandage everyone's wounds later, after she had cleaned them. It was only when she stood and put her hand to her head to fight off a wave of dizziness that she realized there were still tears rolling down her face. 'I can cry later,' she thought, 'after everyone is safe and healing.'

Kirara was already in place to carry half of Inuyasha's weight, though Kagome could tell that the strain of keeping up her large form was taking its toll on her. Inuyasha was even heavier than Miroku, and he groaned in pain as she had to push against his wounds to get him up onto the back of the fire cat. Deciding to skirt around the battlefield rather than trek all the way across it, Kagome led Kirara into the forest. As soon as they reached the cover of the trees a flock of lower crow youkai descended upon the field to pick at the remains. She was relieved, but remained vigilant for more threats in the trees. The dying light made it harder to navigate and she began to rely more and more heavily upon Kirara for guidance. She shivered as they crossed a freezing cold creek and she hoped that the water would wash away the scent of blood on their feet and that no scavenging youkai would follow the trail towards the cave that was their safe haven.

The moment that they reached the cave and Inuyasha was safely removed from her back, Kirara transformed to her smaller form with a cry of pain. Kagome cried out in surprise and caught her as she fell to the ground. The wrappings that had held her wounds in check were now far too large and the flow of blood resumed. She had exhausted herself far too much. Kagome thanked her quietly as she salvaged what clean material she could from the old bandages and re-wrapped her wound. She would never have been able to get everyone to safety without her help. Placing the unconscious cat gently next to Sango, Kagome hurried out into the dying light and gathered several armfuls of firewood. Just as she crossed into the cave for the last time, rain began to pour down in buckets. She thanked the Kami for the good fortune of not being caught in the downpour. A chilly wind blew through the entrance and Kagome set about making a small fire so that she could finally see and tend to the wounds of her friends.

She pulled a pot out of her pack and set it outside the cave to collect rainwater, knowing that she would need hot water to sterilize the wounds. She sensed the brush of a familiar youki at the edge of her senses, but before she could identify who it was the feeling was gone. Briefly she wondered if it was Sesshoumaru, as there had been no sign of him on the battlefield. She hoped that he was uninjured, but she knew by the strength of the youki that if it was him, he was not gravely injured. Nevertheless, she took a moment to strengthen the protective barrier at the entrance of the cave, just in case the youkai had not been Sesshoumaru.

Her body cried out for rest, but it was something that she knew she could not afford. She quickly went to Inuyasha's side and began to peel his bloodstained haori and hakama from his body, leaving him in only his fundoshi. She removed her makeshift bandages one by one and paused only to put the now-full pot of water on the fire to boil. His fever was still increasing and she took a painkiller from her pack, careful to ensure that it wasn't an aspirin. She did not want his blood to be too thin to clot. Because he was not awake to take the medicine, she mixed it with enough water to make a paste and spread it on the back of his tongue before pouring small amounts of water into his mouth, relying on his natural swallowing reflex. Letting it work to reduce his fever, she returned her attention to his wounds. Some of them had already begun to form scabs, but there were four major wounds that were still bleeding freely. The wound from the arrow, a gash on his stomach, a deep rip on his thigh, and a row of claw marks on his arm were all showing no signs of closing on their own. She glanced at his face once again. He was still very much human, with no sign of his youkai half returning anytime soon. Her powers were too weak and she would not be able to focus them enough to heal his wounds in time. Stitching these wounds would not stop the bleeding fast enough. Kagome had very much hoped that she would not have to do this. She got up and removed Sango's katana from its sheath at her hip, placing the blade in the fire to heat. She was going to have to cauterize his wounds before he bled to death.

She did her best to clean the worst of the wounds, the gash on his leg. It was still bleeding freely, with new blood oozing out of the areas along the edge that had clotted. She didn't waste her time with disinfectant yet, as she knew the heat from the blade would be more effective than any of her little bottles. Kagome picked up the katana and took a deep breath, praying that he would remain unconscious for this. She counted to three and pressed the searing hot blade against the wound. The sound that followed was one that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Inuyasha's eyes popped open and he screamed with pain. She hated herself for having to hold the blade there for a while longer.

"I'm so sorry Inuyasha, but I have to do this. I have to close your wounds. I'm so sorry." She continued to repeat her apology to his glazed eyes. What was mere seconds felt like hours as cried out in agony and she was relieved when he finally passed out again from the pain. She cauterized the rest of his major wounds methodically and was glad when the wound from the arrow finally stopped bleeding. Kagome then moved on to all the wounds that she deemed in need of stitches and carefully sewed them shut, burning her fingers on the hot needle that she had boiled with the thread to sterilize it. She took care to clean and bandage every one of his wounds, using all but two of her bandages in the process. Though she would not normally take such precautions against infection, she had no idea how long Inuyasha would remain a human and therefore she needed to treat him as though he would be a human forever. She placed the now-empty pot out in the rain once more, ready to move on to Sango and Miroku's wounds. To prevent Inuyasha from getting too cold, she put her sleeping bag out and carefully maneuvered him into it, being cautious not to reopen any of the wounds she had just finished bandaging. As she was doing this, she noticed that all of the skin that had not been covered by his fire rat robes was an angry red, as though he had been sunburned. It was an odd sight against his tan complexion, but it did not seem to be life-threatening at the moment and there was little she could do but put a cool cloth on his forehead to soothe him. She checked his temperature and was relieved to see that his fever had gone down.

Miroku was far worse off than Sango was, though both had serious wounds to tend. Kagome was quite relieved that she would not have to cauterize any of them, but she was sure that she would need to sew some of the wounds closed. Swallowing her discomfort at disrobing another man Kagome removed Miroku's clothing, leaving him in his fundoshi as well. She added the soiled robes to the pile of Inuyasha's fire rat clothing so that she could wash it in the stream when morning came. Just as Inuyasha's wounds had done, Miroku's wounds began to bleed once the cloth that thad been stuck to them was removed. She could tell immediately that the poison was still in his system, as his blood was not red and flowing as it should be, but dark and thick. It oozed sickly from his wounds. She retrieved the pot from outside the cave and put it on the fire to boil, along with a fresh needle and thread.

Perhaps, since this was youkai poison, she could purify it? She had never tried to purify someone's blood before. Kagome was apprehensive about the idea, considering her current state and how worn out she was. She knew there was a well of unlimited power within her, but accessing it drained her and she was unsure if she could risk such an attempt. Miroku shuddered with fever and his open wounds continued to ooze. She decided that she needed to focus on keeping his blood in his body before she tried to purify it. She needed to wait until at least one other person was awake to protect the group and care for them if she were to pass out with the effort.

The water began to boil and she set about cleaning his wounds while the water cooled a bit. The skin around his wounds was pale and had a bluish tinge to it, which Kagome knew couldn't mean anything good. She was unsure if the poison were able to pass through the blood or not, but just in case she retrieved a pair of gloves from her backpack and was careful to put all the gauze she used to clean his wounds into a small hole in the cave floor, which she then covered with a rock. It was as close to burying it as she was going to get at the moment. It took several hours, but she was able to carefully sew each of the wounds that needed sewing. She needed bandages, but her pack was empty of everything but her own clothes and some blankets. Forlornly, she removed the blankets from her pack and set them aside before carefully cutting several sets of clothing into strips, placing them in some water to boil. While that was boiling, she checked on Inuyasha and Sango, noting that Inuyasha was still sleeping soundly but that Sango was getting paler and her fever was growing worse. She quickly repeated the paste-trick she had done with Inuyasha, administering a dose to both Sango and Miroku. She hoped that would be enough to help Sango for now, because Miroku was still in much worse shape.

After leaving them to boil for a few minutes, Kagome dried the strips of her clothing above the fire. As they were drying, she tried hard not to think about the fact that no matter how hard she tried, it was quite probable that none of her three friends would make it out of this alive. She tried to distract herself by placing a blanket on the ground next to Inuyasha so that she could move Miroku there after she had tended him. She put a new needle and thread on to boil. She took the last of her shirts and filled them with dried leaves she found at the back of the cave to make pillows for their heads. Inuyasha shifted only slightly when she placed his under his head, but she liked to think that he appeared more comfortable. When these small chores had been completed, she was very glad to see that the makeshift bandages were ready. She had run out of ideas of ways to distract herself.

She used every last one of the bandages on Miroku. Some of his wounds needed to be bound tighter than others, and she wanted to make sure that all of them were tightly sealed. He had lost a lot of blood and was very pale. She moved him to the blanket next to Inuyasha, taking care to clean him of all traces of blood. It took a gargantuan effort to lift him, but if his blood was toxic as she suspected, she could not leave him to sit in it. Kagome noted that his wind tunnel was gone, but in its place was a gaping hole that was very difficult to bandage. He would likely always have a scar, but he was finally free of the curse that Naraku had put upon his family. She cleaned the blood off of the cave floor as best as she could, packing fresh dirt over the parts of the floor that were not stone. Knowing that she would need more bandages for Sango, Kagome looked forlornly at her last two outfits in her bag- her pajamas and a sundress. Deciding the cotton sundress would make better bandages, she tore it into strips and boiled it.

As her second batch of bandages dried, she began to undress Sango and go through the process of assessing her injuries. Sango's injuries were not too severe, with the exception of the bite from the snake youkai on her arm. She knew that a tourniquet would not be wise, as it seemed the poison was necrotic and was eating away at the wound. After cleaning the area, she set about stitching all of her wounds. Sango's skin was far more delicate than either Miroku or Inuyasha's had been, and she had never before been in the position to dress her wounds. Sango had never been rendered unconscious this long after a battle before, and when she had been injured she had allowed Miroku to dress them. Kagome couldn't remember a time where the taijiya had required stitches.

Hours passed before Kagome's work was done. When she finished dressing all of Sango's wounds, she realized that the poison was causing swelling and knew better than to attempt to put her friend's armor back on. With a sad sigh, Kagome took her pajamas, her only remaining clothes, and dressed her friend in them. She placed a blanket over Sango and was relieved to find that she still had one blanket remaining to cover herself. She took a few moments to clean and redress Kirara's wound, and knew from the way the cat was sleeping that she would not wake for a while, despite her youkai healing. She had expended too much energy in helping Kagome get her friends to safety.

Kagome then sat down with the remainder of her medical supplies and used as little as possible to clean up her own wounds. Fortunately, she only had to stitch the one wound on her side. She bit back cries of pain as she sewed her own angry wound shut. She refused to take any of the painkillers, as she only had a limited supply and her friends would need them for their fevers. Her side throbbed and the rest of her smaller wounds begun to sting anew, as the adrenaline that had been fueling her for the last 12 hours or so finally began to fade. She put the remaining supplies safely in her pack and stood at the mouth of the cave, looking at the small group of friends that she had called her family for the last four years. For now, they were safe and alive. She was going to do everything she could to make them better, but in that moment there was little she could do but wait, hope, and persevere. She broke down in tears, the trauma and pain of the last day finally coming out in long, cathartic sobs.

Several minutes later, with the sun peeking up over the horizon, Kagome dried her tears and settled down at the back of the cave with her bow and arrows on her lap. She was exhausted, dirty, hungry, and ragged. She knew she could not afford to sleep, for there were too many hostile youkai this close to the battlefield and her barrier only remained strong when she was awake. The storm had abated sometime while she had been treating Sango, and Kagome looked out into the dim morning light of the forest. The longest night of her life had just ended, but there would be no time for rest. Her work was far from over and her friends were not out of the woods yet. She entered a semi-meditative state that Kaede had taught her to use in order to stave off exhaustion and keep her senses alert. She would not, could not, fail her friends now- not when they had finally gained the rest of their lives.

The sun continued to climb in the sky. The wind started to blow through the newly-washed clearing once more. Birds chirped, squirrels frolicked, and the creek babbled happily in its bed. The world began to move again outside the small safe haven, while Kagome remained motionless and vigilant- the silent guardian for the Inu-tachi, finding strength within herself that she never knew she had. She would need that strength, for the Kami would ask much more of her yet.


	2. 2 Survival

Bound by Honor

By: CelestialGolden

Chapter 2: Survival

It was several hours after Kagome entered her meditative state that she was brought back into awareness by the sound of her stomach grumbling. Coming back to reality was jarring and she immediately wished that she had gotten a few more hours of peace. Though she was still exhausted, she knew the brief respite had done her good. Her body still ached, but not in the crippling way that it had before. She quickly got up and stretched her limbs. The sun was not quite at its peak, and she was not surprised that she was hungry. It had been more than 24 hours since her last meal.

Kagome quickly checked on her friends, though there was not much change in any of their conditions. Inuyasha's fever had come back and two of his wounds needed re-bandaging, but the rest of them appeared to have stopped bleeding and scabs were beginning to form. One of the claw marks on his arm was worrying her, though. It appeared to be red around the edges and hot to the touch. She disinfected it again and applied more antibiotic ointment, hoping that his youkai blood would return before the infection became much of a problem. Miroku was still bleeding sluggishly, and pulling back a bandage revealed to her that these wounds would not close on their own, or even with the aid of stitches. The poison was preventing his blood from clotting and the only thing keeping him from bleeding out was the bandages that she had applied tightly. Sango's wound was improving slightly, but the swelling had traveled up her arm and Kagome wished that she had some modern anti-venom.

Checking in her bag for food, she counted only two packages of ramen, a small bag of chips, three protein bars, and a box of pocky. Kagome wanted to save the ready-made food for an emergency, so she grabbed her friends' clothes in one hand, slung her quiver and a large canteen on her back, and carried her bow in the other hand. She hoped that she would be able to catch a small animal off guard on the way to the creek to wash them. Her body needed protein and the broth from a stew would give her friends much-needed nutrients. She took care to strengthen the barrier in front of the cave before leaving.

She was careful to mark the path, though she was confident she could find her way back. The last thing that she needed was to get lost in the forest with her friends vulnerable. Along the way, she found a bunch of thin vines and used her small knife to gather them, planning to weave a fishing net. She had helped the villagers do so many times over the last few years, so she was confident that she could complete such a task. Hopefully there would be fish in the creek. It wasn't long before she heard the babble of water and saw a gap in the trees through which brilliant sunlight streamed down. She sat down at the bank and carefully began to scrub Sango's armor, being sure to keep her senses alert.

The same youki she had felt the night before brushed once more against her senses before disappearing again. This time she was sure that it was Sesshoumaru. By the strength of the youki, he was nearby. She couldn't pinpoint his location but she felt immense comfort knowing that someone knew where she was. She wondered at why he hadn't approached, but remembered that he was never one to approach without a purpose and that he likely had returned to wherever he had left Rin during the final battle with Naraku. They were, after all, on the outskirts of the border to the Western lands. She tried to flare her aura to him in a call for help, but her powers were exhausted and she knew that if she wanted to eat today, she shouldn't scare away all of the game. If she had felt him, she could only hope that he had felt her presence and that he would come to investigate why she was still in the area. She briefly wondered if he had been injured during the battle, but she didn't remember any serious injuries. Then again, she had passed out from her final blow to Naraku and remembered very little of the last few moments of the battle. She hoped he was alright.

The blood washed much more easily out of Inuyasha's fire rat than out of the monk's clothes. Miroku's robes were stained beyond repair, but he would need something to wear when he awoke. Sango's armor washed clean, the only evidence of the battle a large hole where the snake youkai's fang had pierced it. Kagome was happy to note while she was cleaning that there were several small fish swimming in the stream. Judging by the sound, there was a larger creek upstream that she would have more luck fishing in. Perhaps she could even catch an animal off guard. Her stomach grumbled anew at the prospect. She hung her friends' clothes on nearby tree branches to dry and settled to weave a small fishing net. It was the work of minutes before she had a decent one, thought it was very small. She knew she should weave several more and made a note to grab more of the thin vines if she found some.

Placing the net neatly folded in the pocket of her hakama (a modern twist she was glad she had added to the traditional dress), Kagome made her way as quietly as possible upstream. The wind was at her face, for which she was grateful. Potential prey would not smell her coming. Her heart wrenched as she thought back to the time Inuyasha had insisted he teach her to hunt. She remembered his silent and stealthy movements through the forest as she plodded along behind him, making all sorts of noise. He berated her at her every move and she fought him every step of the way. It was the work of hours before they finally caught a boar together. He had made her skin and prepare it, and she had been livid with him for making her do it- after all, she would always have him to hunt for her. She had never thanked him for that lesson and now she vowed to do so if he ever woke up. She would have had no hope of catching food for them otherwise.

The trees began to thin out along the creek bed and soon it opened to a large pond, at the edge of which stood a decent-sized deer. It was a young buck, with only small antlers on its head, but Kagome knew that the meat would be more than enough to sustain her friends for a week or longer. She pulled back an arrow as the deer drank, trying to quash the voice of the modern girl inside of her that rallied against killing anything. She needed the food, and she was not about to reject a bounty when it was presented to her. She released the arrow and it flew true, killing the deer in a single blow through the eye. She was glad to have caught food for herself and her friends, but a large part of her felt horrible for killing an innocent creature, especially one that was so _cute_.

Placing the fishing net in the pond at the point where it drained into the creek, Kagome made her way over to her kill and began to butcher it. She had seen Inuyasha do this countless times, though she was far less efficient at it with her knife than he was with his claws. She was careful to collect the parts that were unusable- the intestines, lungs, bones, and other undesireables- so that she could dispose of them further from the creek. She didn't want to attract dangerous animals or youkai to the area, as she was going to be using this spot to fish and hunt in the future. She was sure her friends would not be able to travel for quite some time even after they woke up and they would need a reliable source for food and water.

After butchering the deer and wrapping it carefully in the hide for easy transport, Kagome looked down at herself for the first time. She looked absolutely dreadful. Her hakama were caked with dried blood, her bra stained red as well. Her skin was covered in dirt and her own blood, not to mention the blood from treating her friends and from cleaning the deer. Expanding her senses once more to make sure that she hadn't yet attracted a youkai with the smell of dead deer, she stripped herself of her dirty clothes and slid into the pond, taking care that her weapons were in reach. She scrubbed herself quickly and pulled her clothes into the pond to scrub them as well. She was grateful that it was a warm day, as she pond was freezing cold and she knew that she would have to put her wet clothes back on.

Now clean, she hastily redressed and collected her things. The deer carcass was extremely heavy, but it was not unmanageable. When she returned to the site she had left the clothes to dry, she was pleased to see that they were only damp. She took a moment to fill the canteen with water before heading back to the cave. She needed to cook this deer and preserve it as quickly as possible.

Upon her return to the cave, Kagome was relieved to see that the barrier had not been disturbed and that her friends were all still stable. Their fevers had returned, so she took a moment to administer some more medicated paste, deciding that tomorrow's task would be to gather some herbs and see if she could find some root vegetables to enrich the stew she was about to make. It was getting late in the afternoon and she knew there was a limit to what she could accomplish alone. Her energy was waning and she would have to meditate again soon. She knew she would eventually have to sleep, but she hoped to make everything as safe as possible before that happened.

Her side throbbed, though Kagome knew that her wound was healing very quickly for a human. She attributed it to her miko powers, which would not fully recover until she slept. She knew this, but she could not do anything about it without putting her friends at risk. She had enough strength to fight off the minor youkai that lived in the forest. They were close enough to Sesshoumaru's lands that she knew the population of mindless lower youkai was very small. He took great care to eliminate those that he considered animals. Her major concern was her proximity to the veritable beacon that was the rotting battlefield.

Kagome built up the dying fire and put on the pot with some fresh water to boil while she went to gather more firewood. Though she had plenty to last for another day, it had rained last night and she would need to dry some out in case it rained again and she couldn't get more dry wood. She had to carry much lighter loads this time and took many more trips, but eventually she had a decent supply of firewood. Setting some next to the fire to dry out, Kagome turned her attention to the back of the cave. There was a rock shelf that looked like it would be the perfect top of a homemade smoker, which she would need in order to preserve the venison.

Seeing that the water was boiling, Kagome took the liver, heart, kidneys, and a few of the smaller bones and placed them in the pot to make a rich broth. She then skewered some cuts of meat and placed them over the fire to cook. She had expended much energy since the last time she ate and she needed the food desperately. She went back to her backpack and found a couple of racks that her mother had given her for cooking over a campfire and headed back to the spot she planned to build her smoker. She needed to get the meat in there as quickly as possible so that it would be well preserved.

Kagome collected various sized rocks scattered about the cave and stacked them neatly underneath the shelf, careful to plug up any holes she could find in the top whilst leaving small gaps in the bottom for air to get to the smoldering fire she would need to build inside. As she built up the walls of her smoker, she incorporated the racks into the structure. Finding a decent sized stone to function as a door, Kagome finished building the smoker as the sun began its descent in earnest. She only had an hour or so of daylight left, and she planned to use it wisely.

Standing up, Kagome brushed the dirt off of her hands and admired her handiwork. It was not the most expertly crafted smoker, but it would make decent jerky and the deer she had killed would not be wasted. She carefully sliced some of the meat into thin strips that would smoke quickly and salted it liberally with the salt from her pack before placing as much of it as possible on the racks. She left the rest in whole pieces, as she knew they would not spoil as quickly if she left them alone. Kagome then took a smoldering log from the main fire and placed it underneath the racks, surrounding it with hot coals that she had to pick out one by one with a pair of kiddie scissors she had in her backpack for Shippou. By the time her job was done, the plastic handles were melted beyond recognition but the coals were set. She popped out of the cave and grabbed some still green leaves off of a nearby tree, placing a few of them on the smoldering fire so that it would start to make more smoke. She then rolled the heavy door-stone over the entrance and left the meat to smoke. She estimated it would take at least all night to make decent jerky.

The rest of the meat was still quite a significant amount and she knew that she would have to find a way to preserve it. She thought for a moment before remembering how very cold the stream was. She quickly retrieved some sealable plastic bags from her backpack that she had brought back food in for the group. She had just enough to store the rest of the meat and so Kagome scooped up her bow and arrows along with the meat and hurried the short distance to the creek. She spotted a small rock formation along the bank that was almost bucket-like in shape. Placing the leftover meat bags in there, she then put a heavy rock on top to secure it. The quickly rushing water would obscure the scent from any predators and would keep the meat cold long enough for her to preserve it. By the time she was finished, her hands were growing numb with the cold and she was satisfied that the meat would be kept quite fresh. She hurried back to the cave to check up on her friends once more.

Their conditions were still stable, but she was growing increasingly concerned about Miroku. His skin was even more pale than it was before, while Sango and Inuyasha's skin had regained some color. His fever was still present despite the medication. Her thermometer said that it was 102 degrees. She noted sadly that the sun was too low in the sky for her to go out in search of herbs until tomorrow. She would have to continue using the medication from her pack for at least one more night.

Noticing that her stomach was still growling and that she was feeling hunger pains, Kagome returned her attention to the meat she had left to cook over the fire before she had started building her smoker. She was glad that it had been held high over the flames. Though it was charred, it was still juicy and tender in the middle and she ate enthusiastically. Her hunger sated, Kagome began to feel the exhaustion deep within her bones. She could not sleep yet, as there were still many demonic auras in the area, likely carrion youkai still feeding on the battlefield. She could not sense Sesshoumaru's aura and was losing hope that he was still anywhere nearby. She had been hoping that she would run into him so that she could ask him for help.

The relationship between the taiyoukai and the Inu-Tachi had improved drastically in the last few years. Once Naraku had kidnapped Rin in an attempt to wrest control from Sesshoumaru. In seeing how valiantly the group had fought to return his ward to him, despite their longstanding rivalry, Sesshoumaru had gained a grudging respect for them. Though it did not show in his words towards his younger brother, his demeanor had changed significantly. When it became clear that they would need the taiyoukai as an ally, the group had approached Sesshoumaru and proposed that they work together. Seeing as Naraku had been encroaching upon his lands, he readily agreed and traveled with them for some time, much to Inuyasha's frustration.

A groan from Sango broke her out of her thoughts. Kagome rushed to check on her, and was wiping her brow with a cloth as Sango opened her eyes.

"K'gome?" Sango asked wearily, her voice hoarse. She tried to sit up but Kagome pushed her shoulders gently to the ground.

"Sango, you were bitten by a snake youkai in the battle, remember? Stay still. You're not well enough to sit up yet." Kagome said, quickly going to the cooling pot of broth and pouring a small amount into a cup. She planned to take advantage of the time Sango was awake. She turned around to see Sango peering curiously around the cave.

"Na…raku…gone?" She asked, her breaths coming in short, labored pants. It was clear to Kagome that she wasn't meant to be awake yet. Her body wasn't ready for the stress.

"Shhh, Sango, don't talk too much. Save your energy to heal. Here, drink some of this if you can." Kagome did not want Sango knowing about Naraku's defeat quite yet- it would bring up questions that she was not ready for and new worries that they could do nothing to assauge. She held the cup of broth to Sango's lips and she drank slowly. Sango managed to drink about half of the cup before turning her head from the offered broth.

"Where…M'roku?" Sango asked, her hazy eyes clearing for a brief moment before dulling with fever once more. Kagome wasn't sure how to answer without causing her more worry.

"He's right here, Sango. He's alive. I'm caring for him too. It's gonna be ok. You've got to rest and get better." Kagome tried once more to offer broth, and Sango drank a few more sips before her head fell back and she was asleep once more. Kagome felt tears well up in her eyes as the stress of her situation washed over her.

She was alone in a forest that was currently infested with carrion youkai with three injured friends she had to protect and provide for. The battlefield was a suitable distraction for the youkai right now, but in a day or so the field would be completely stripped bare of remains and the youkai that had been attracted to the area would be searching for something else to eat. Kagome glanced at her friends and noted that none of them, except maybe Kirara, would be in fighting condition in only a day. She was on the edge of exhaustion and though she had made progress as far as establishing a nearby food source, she was going to need to sleep and there would be nobody to wake her. If Kirara was fully healed, she could send her to get Shippou to be a lookout, but she wouldn't want to bring her adopted son into such a dangerous situation.

Kagome stood and swallowed her fear, walking to the entrance of the cave to strengthen her barrier before going to her pack. Miroku had put some of his wards and supplies in there. He had once taught her how to make a basic protection spell and she hoped that she could recreate it now. If she did fall asleep, she needed to buy some time for herself to awaken and protect them should something come upon their camp. Her fingers gripped the brush clumsily and the kanji was slightly lopsided and awkward, but it was the best she could do. She put away the supplies and placed the wards on the wall of the cave at the entrance. It wouldn't do much, should something strong happen upon them, but it would be a measure of protection.

Kagome knew that she would need to go into her meditative state again in order to stave off the wave of exhaustion looming over her, but first she checked on each of her friends, re-wrapping wounds and carefully checking each one for infection. Miroku's old bandages went directly into the fire, whereas everyone else were put into a pile for her to wash and reuse. She was not in a position to throw away bandages when she didn't even know how many more bandages she would be needing and she had no clothes left to shred.

Inuyasha's wounds were healing very slowly, far slower than he should be healing. His hair was still black and there was no trace of his dog ears or claws returning anytime soon. The claw mark on his arm was getting worse, the wound now swollen and green around the edges with pus. She drained and cleaned it as well as she could, but she was afraid that if his demon blood did not return soon, he would succumb to shock and sepsis. He showed no sign of waking and she only managed to get a few spoonfuls of broth down his throat. She feared trying to force feed him too much, lest he vomit in his sleep and drown in it.

Miroku was in a state of limbo. He wasn't getting much worse, but he certainly wasn't getting any better. His wounds continued to bleed sluggishly and the color of his blood was still far too dark. His fever was still present despite the medication she had been administering, and Kagome knew that if she hadn't been giving him medication he would have suffered brain damage from the fever by now. She had no idea how to treat him. She was going to have to figure something out or he was never going to get better. Perhaps tomorrow would lend her inspiration when she went foraging for herbs.

Sango's wounds were healing the best of the three of them, but the amount of blood that she had lost would cause her to need at least a week or more to recover. She wasn't at death's door, but it would be a long road to recovery. Kirara was doing well, occasionally waking to mew at Kagome softly and to lap up some broth before going back to sleep. The wound was no longer bleeding, but Kagome continued to clean it and keep bandages on it to make sure that it would heal quickly. Once Kirara was back in fighting shape, Kagome was confident that the two of them could protect her friends until they were healed. She just had to last until then.

Checking that the fire was still smoldering in the smoker, the barrier and wards to the cave entrance were still intact, and her friends were all ok for the time being, Kagome returned to her place by the fire. Wrapping herself in the blanket once more to hide her tattered hakama and bra, she sat cross-legged with her quiver on her back and her bow across her lap, an arrow already in position. It took her much more concentration to enter her meditative state than it had the previous night, as she had to fight sleep even more strongly than before. Her exhausted mind and body finally cooperated and she felt her muscles relax.

Kagome was unsure how many hours had passed while her mind floated somewhere above her body, but she snapped back to reality some time later as a strong demonic aura popped up along the edge of her consciousness. It was not an intelligent youkai, but it felt as though it was very strong. Her heart pounded as she remembered the Shikon no Tama was still in a pocket of her backpack. Though she could go far into disguising the presence of herself and her friends, she could do very little to silence the beacon of the jewel. This demon seemed to be headed straight for her and her friends.

She stifled the urge to extinguish her fire, knowing that the demon would be able to see her regardless and that her eyes were far too weak to see without the light. She reached within herself and found that her body was still too exhausted to channel her powers well. She was at a terrible disadvantage and she was unsure what she could do to even the odds. She cursed herself for not continuing with Kaede's instruction on strengthening her ability to channel her powers before heading off on what turned out to be the last shard expedition. If she had stayed one more hour to hear her instruction, perhaps she would be stronger right now.

There was a terrifying silence as the aura approached. The cricket and frog songs that had filled the forest went suddenly quiet, and Kagome stood, threading Sango's katana through the sash on her hakama. She had absolutely no training with any weapon other than her self-taught success with the bow, but any weapon was better than no weapon. It wasn't long before Kagome could see two bright red eyes staring back at her from the darkness. This was the demon. As it grew closer to the light, she could see that it was some sort of large cat- this was very very bad for her. Feline demons were strong and fast, something she was unlikely to be able to contend with in even her strongest state.

She did not take her eyes from the demon, but she thought of her friends all lying vulnerable behind her and the people that would die if she failed to keep the jewel from this demon or any others. She could not fail. She would not give up. This may be her last night to live, but she would die with honor and she would take this demon with her.

The large cat stalked closer to the entrance of the cave and walked straight past the wards she had placed, growling in pain as the wards attacked its youki. They were only a small protection spell, the only ward that Kagome knew, and soon they burst into flame and crumpled uselessly to the cave floor. 'Great,' she thought, 'now all I've done is piss it off.'

She and the demon were locked in a stare-off, waiting for one of them to make the first move. Kagome soon decided that it would have to be her. The cat had yet to come through her second barrier and the only advantage she would have would be that of surprise. Trying not to let her muscles telegraph her moves, she drew her bow as quickly as possible and let an arrow fly. The arrow was still charged with her miko powers, but it was much weaker than the arrows she typically produced. Fortunately, the demon had not anticipated that she would make the first move and the arrow flew true, hitting it in the right shoulder. Her powers flared through the wound, severing its front leg.

Though she had gravely injured the demon, Kagome knew this fight was long from over. Its attention was focused on her and she knew better than to allow it to get between herself and her backpack. The last thing she needed was what appeared to be a panther demon imbued with the power of a complete Shikon no Tama. It stared her in the eye, its red irises gleaming in the firelight. In a split second, it pounced, ripping through the barrier she had erected and giving itself horrific burns in its haste to attack her. It swiped with its remaining front paw, and Kagome dove to the right, barely avoiding what would have been a fatal blow. As it was, one claw scraped along her left shoulder and opened a new, deep cut in her skin.

She regained her footing quickly, using her bow to hit the demon across the face. It was too close for her to shoot another arrow and it looked like she would have to use the katana after all. Her powers were imbued within the bow and when it struck the cat's eye, it screamed in pain and thick blood began to ooze from the wound, joining the growing puddle on the floor from its severed arm and Kagome's wound.

The demon stood, pure hatred in its remaining eye. Its breath smelled like rotting flesh and decay and its claws slid ominously against the cave floor as it resumed its stalking motions. It had burns from her powers all over its body, some of them blistering and starting to leak plasma. The remaining fur was singed and was scattered in tufts of midnight black fur. Its aura was still strong, though it had weakened slightly from the wards and her miko barrier.

Kagome felt her heart rate pick up to compensate for her blood loss and knew that she had very little time to finish this battle before she would be unable to stand. The demon in front of her was determined and despite the injuries she'd managed to inflict, it still had the advantage. In the blink of an eye, it pounced again and this time Kagome was too slow to avoid the impact. It knocked her backwards, and in an attempt to keep her shoulders and head from hitting the cave floor, she threw her arm to the side.

Immediately, she understood the consequences of her mistake. Her forearm hit the coals at the edge of the fire and a searing pain burned through her. She released a scream of pain, despite her attempts to keep silent to avoid attracting other demons. The cat's claws from its remaining front paw had put four neat gouges near her collarbone and it was only through the panther's miscalculation that Kagome regained the upper hand. It had landed on top of her and attempted to lean down to rip out her neck with its teeth, but it had forgotten about its missing arm, falling to the side as it leaned down. It fell into the fire as well and its unearthly howl was a sound that Kagome would never forget. She stood and, feeling the blood gush from her wounds and her heartbeat in her ears, she took the katana from her waist and thrust it through the head of the demon, its body going immediately limp as the flames continued to climb up what fur hadn't already been singed off and infuse the cave with the stench of burning flesh.

Kagome's vision was going blurry, the edges black as she stumbled back from the body. She did not want to fall on it and earn the same fate. She attempted to erect another barrier at the cave entrance, but her powers would not answer her call. As she fell to the ground, she saw a large blur of silver and white. She prayed that it was who she thought it was.

She thought she heard his deep timbre as she slipped from consciousness, but she could not be sure. Within seconds she knew nothing as she lay between her unconscious friends, bleeding out onto the cave floor next to the burning corpse of a panther youkai.


	3. 3 Midnight and Silver

Bound by Honor

By: CelestialGolden

Chapter 3: Midnight and Silver

Sesshoumaru's ears picked up the sound of a familiar, piercing scream. Glancing down at Rin, sleeping soundly tucked into his mokomoko-sama, he hesitated for a moment, unsure if the scream was from the person he thought it was. He had sensed the miko in the area, but had assumed she and her friends were taking a few days to recover before returning to the village they called home. Now his instincts were roaring within him and he knew that could not be the case. That scream was filled with pain and hastily silenced, very much unlike the typical "someone help me" scream that the miko had used in her youth.

Standing carefully to avoid waking his ward, he placed Rin at Ah-Un's side. The dragon's twin heads acknowledged the familiar position, knowing that they were to protect the taiyoukai's ward. Sesshoumaru turned swiftly and headed towards the area from which the smell of human blood now drifted strongly. He heard Jaken rushing to keep up with him and begging him to slow down.

"Silence." He said firmly, and though he could still hear the toad's struggles through the brush, his protests stopped.

He burst through the trees in front of a small cave and witnessed the last moments of what appeared to have been a grueling fight between the miko and a panther youkai. The stench of cat was thick in the air, and it was clear that the youkai had intended to kill those inside the cave and make off with the Shikon no Tama. He could feel its thrum from where he stood, though the power held no draw for him. It was apparent that the miko did not know of his presence and he attempted to call out to her when, for the second time in as many days, she fell to the ground unconscious.

Quickly he drew Tokijin, his arm throbbing in protest as his own injuries were not yet healed. His nose twitched and he stifled the urge to sneeze as the stench of burning flesh permeated the cave. He was quite sure that the cat was dead, but he did not wish to leave himself open if that were not the case. The miko's friends were all alive, but lay unconscious near her body. He was mildly surprised to see that his brother remained human, despite the moon that shone in the sky. Taking Tokijin, he directed a blast of youki at the corpse of the panther youkai, dissolving it into dust and restoring the dying fire.

He returned his attention to the miko, and her heartbeat was beginning to slow. His instincts roared at him to help her. Though the reason was unclear, he knew better than to ignore his instincts. Sesshoumaru knelt next to Kagome, placing his hand on the most rapidly bleeding of her wounds. He tried to ignore the throbbing deep within his soul as his hand was quickly covered in her warm, sticky blood. It was at that moment that Jaken stumbled through the brush.

"Milord! What has happened? Why do you dirty yourself with disgusting human blood?! Wha-"

"Jaken." Sesshoumaru interrupted, ignoring the imp's tirade. "Go fetch Rin. Bring her healing supplies. Do so quickly and without complaint. If you tarry, you shall be punished."

The next few minutes were ones that Sesshoumaru would rather forget. He stared at the rapidly paling face of a woman who should mean nothing to him, and grew frustrated with his loss of perfect control. Why were his instincts pulling at him so strongly? While traveling together, he and the miko had become comfortable allies, but she was still inferior to him. She was loud, emotional, and utterly human. He had ultimately decided that, though honorable, the woman was weak and irritating…and yet the sight of her blood unsettled him. She had been bleeding when the battle with Naraku had ended. He had been able to walk away when he knew she had remained unconscious on the battlefield, so why was he back at her side now, watching her blood stain his claws and soak into his pristine robes?

A memory rose to the surface, unbidden. As the miko had delivered the final blow to Naraku, a blast she was unable to control and yet one powerful enough to destroy even himself, she had met his gaze with horror in her eyes and thrown a barrier around him. He felt the sizzle of her powers on his skin as even her barrier burned him. The wave of purification passed over him, a deluge of pain engulfing his body as his instincts roared at him to run away. His skin was red and raw, but he was left ultimately unharmed from a blast that should have killed him. Every youkai that had fallen in battle, but had not yet died, was killed by the blast. His youki had then enshrouded him and he flew away from the field in a ball of light, returning to the place he had hidden his ward to recover from the battle.

The miko had saved his life. This was a matter of honor. He would help her, because without her barrier he would have died. It was only right that he staunch the flow of blood and preserve her life as he awaited the return of his ward. As he stared at his hands, he saw the red of her blood drift over the markings on his hand. He thought for a moment that his markings began to glow- but as he looked closer to confirm what he thought he saw, he heard footsteps approaching.

Before he was forced to think on the matter further, his sleepy ward entered the cave. It was clear that Jaken had not informed her of the situation. She gasped and was immediately awake, running to his side and opening the satchel in which she carried her supplies.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, what has happened? How did Kagome-sama get such wounds?" She asked, somewhat panicked.

"Rin. Retrieve your healing supplies. Remember your teachings." He said softly, hoping to calm his ward enough that she could help to heal the miko. He knew little of human medicine. Rin was the miko's only hope.

"Yes, father. I remember. You must keep your hand there." Rin said as she ran to Kagome's backpack and retrieved her kit. She used the needle that Kagome had previously sterilized and began to sew up the wounds. As she worked, she worried for the woman. She had lost an awful lot of blood, though nothing that should be lethal. She wondered why she was so pale. "What has happened to Kagome-sama?"

Sesshoumaru sniffed the air, the heavy scent of sickness wafting from his brother and the monk and the scent of exhaustion clinging to the miko like a blanket. "The miko has been caring for my brother and their companions alone. She is exhausted and was attacked by a panther youkai."

Rin was shocked that the wounds she was currently treating were the only ones the miko had sustained if she had gone toe to toe with a panther demon. "Where is the demon now? Did you kill it?"

Sesshoumaru looked down at the miko with a measure of pride that was only apparent to someone who had known him her whole life, as Rin had. "I did not have to."

Rin nodded as she continued to work. "Then she will need her rest. We will stay to care for them, won't we Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Hnn."

—

Kagome awoke with a rush of adrenaline as the scream of a strong youkai aura filled her senses. She shot straight up and immediately regretted the action, her wounds throbbing and head spinning from the effort. She fought to push away the panic that began to fill her, the disorientation and pain overwhelming as the events of the last few days caught up with her. She was filled with relief when a familiar deep timbre filled her ears.

"Do you plan to make this a habit, miko? Falling unconscious in my presence?"

Kagome let out a small laugh at that, turning to look at the stoic taiyoukai. She found him sitting against the wall of the cave, the morning light streaming in through the cave entrance to highlight his silvery hair and golden eyes. "Sesshoumaru! I can't tell you how glad I am to see you. I must have been overwhelmed with excitement at the sight of the Lord of the Western Lands."

Though it was not obvious to anyone but her, Sesshoumaru's mouth twitched upwards in a smile. The miko had always been able to provide some quite pleasant witty banter. "You must learn to contain yourself. It is becoming most inconvenient for this Sesshoumaru."

She laughed quietly before her eyes landed upon Sango. The sun was up! She had slept all night without checking on her friends! She gasped and threw off the blanket that had been placed on her, attempting to stand so that she could check on them.

"Peace, Miko. Rin has been caring for your friends." Sesshoumaru said, when seeing that she would likely open her wounds with how quickly she was moving about.

Kagome immediately looked around the cave. There was no sign of Jaken or Rin. She turned to the taiyoukai, frowning slightly. "Where is she? Is she alright? Miroku's blood…there's something wrong with it. Please tell me she didn't touch it."

Sesshoumaru glanced at the monk, taking a cursory sniff to confirm what the miko had said. Rin had not touched the monk's wounds but had given him some of the medicinal paste that Kagome had taught her to make. "She has not touched the monk's wounds. She has gone with Jaken to retrieve more healing supplies from her teacher."

Kagome slowly got to her feet, fighting off a wave of dizziness. She then dared to look down at herself, gasping at the sight of her arm. It was horrifically burned, blistering and oozing. She had some burn ointment in her bag, though it appeared that Rin had spread a salve on the wound. She was glad that it was her left arm, as she was sure the skin would regrow tight and disfigured. She then realized her state of undress and let out a small shriek, looking about for something to cover herself with. She had forgotten that she used all of her own clothing to make bandages! Just as she was attempting to tie her blanket around her chest, a waterfall of white silk appeared before her. She looked up, startled, to see Sesshoumaru holding out his haori for her to take.

"Sess- Sesshoumaru! I can't take your clothing!" She stammered, feeling her cheeks flush red. 'Why am I blushing?!' She thought, 'it's not like he doesn't have his under-robes still on!'

"Do not be foolish, miko. You have no clothing of your own. You have used it all to bandage your companions. This Sesshoumaru does not give anything he does not wish to give."

She quietly muttered a thank you and took the proffered clothing, sliding it over her shoulders and tying it tightly around her waist. For the first time, she realized how truly large Sesshoumaru really was. He dwarfed her in height, as her head would barely reach his chin if she stood on her tip toes, and his shoulders and chest were so broad that he could wrap his arms around two of her easily. She felt small while wearing his robes. The silk was soft and cool against her skin, soothing her wounds and wrapping her in his clean and masculine scent. She was broken from her thoughts by her stomach grumbling.

Before going to get food for herself, Kagome went to the fire where the broth was still sitting in the pot by the fire. She placed it back on to boil so that she could feed her friends and went to check on their conditions while munching on a piece of jerky she had retrieved from the smoker. She was pleased to see that Sango's fever had broken in the night, but she remained unconscious. Her breathing was no longer as labored and her cheeks had regained their color. Inuyasha and Miroku were not so fortunate.

Kagome gave Miroku another dose of the medicinal paste and looked forlornly at the almost empty bottle of pills. She had to go searching today for herbs or her friends would be left with nothing to help them recover. His wounds showed no signs of closing still and his blood was still black and oozy. She had yet to come up with a way to treat his blood and she knew that they were running out of time. Soon, likely within the next 24 hours, he would succumb to the poison. She needed to figure out how to cure him before then. Inuyasha's wound was not looking any worse than it had the night before, but it was not looking any better either and he was beginning to look more pale. He was still inexplicably human.

She felt Sesshoumaru walk up behind her as she looked down at his brother. "Hn. I would have thought that his youki would have returned by now."

Kagome turned to him. "What do you mean? You know what made him human?"

Sesshoumaru merely blinked at her, though Kagome knew that was practically as expressive as a gasp for him. "You did."

Horror and disbelief came upon her like a lead weight upon her chest. "What do you mean, I did? He was already human when I tried to heal him with my miko powers." Her hands began to shake. How could she have turned him human?

"The blast of power that killed Naraku hit him too. It would have killed him if he were not a hanyou. It killed all other demons in the area. Were it not for the barrier you threw, it may have also hurt this Sesshoumaru." He said, wondering why she thought so little of her powers that she didn't believe herself capable of such feats. Was this the same woman that had fought at his side on the battlefield? Had exhaustion made her so weak?

She ran her fingers gently over the reddened skin on his face, what she had thought was a sunburn. "These burns? I caused them?" Sesshoumaru only nodded.

Tears came unbidden to Kagome's eyes. "I've killed him. He has an infection and he can't recover because I destroyed his youki." Guilt settled like a thick fog around her, choking her and making her feel sick. How could she have done this? How could she not think to throw a barrier around Inuyasha as well? If Kirara hadn't been shrouded in her backpack, she would have been killed too. She put her hand on her best friend's face, knowing that she would never forgive herself for what she had done to him. "I spent years telling him he's everything he needs to be as a hanyou. I fought by his side, saved lives with him, and I am the one who took his identity from him. He will die a human because of me. I will never forgive myself for this."

Sesshoumaru looked down at the miko, crouched and crying over his brother. He could smell the sickness that coursed through Inuyasha, and pushed himself to sense more than the stench of his illness. He did not smell like a human. Inuyasha was still a hanyou- she had not purified him completely. His brother was not going to be able to recover his youki alone, however. There was nothing to pull it out- if the full moon the night before had not done it, then there was no natural thing that could turn the tide of his youki. Except, perhaps…

"Miko. Fetch your knife."

Kagome looked up at him, confused and still in a cloud of guilt. "As shamed as I am to have hurt your brother, Sesshoumaru, I cannot commit seppuku. I have to do everything I can to save all three of my friends. If such is your choice afterwards, I will not fight should you wish to avenge Inuyasha." She was taken aback at the anger that met her statement.

"Foolish woman! I mean to aid Inuyasha. Your only shame is taking the killing blow on Naraku from this Sesshoumaru. Take your knife and clean it." Kagome looked up into his face and was surprised at how cold he appeared. She had really pissed him off this time. She was quick to obey him, placing her small dagger into the coals of the fire to heat. As she waited for the metal to get hot enough to glow, she heard a small growl from her youkai companion. She could not look him in the eyes and instead looked at the stone floor of the cave, guilt and horror still piercing through her. Her best friend was in this situation because of her- how had she thought to shield Sesshoumaru but not Inuyasha? How could she have forgotten to protect him from the blast of her powers?

Smooth fingers with deadly claws pried her gaze from the ground and into a pair of sunlit eyes, more expressive than she had ever seen them. "Miko. Do not carry guilt that is not yours. The battle would have been lost without you, even for this Sesshoumaru. If my brother's youki was the sacrifice to defeating Naraku I have no doubt he would give it willingly. Wrest yourself from this weakness. It does your companions no good."

She nodded weakly, grabbing the now searing hot knife from the coals of the fire. "How do I help Inuyasha? I've already cauterized his wounds. It's an infection that is making him sick now, without his youki to fight it off."

Sesshoumaru knelt by his brother, removing mokomoko-sama and placing it to the side. He pulled aside the blanket to expose the hanyou's chest, shuddering with each breath and slick with fever sweat. What he had planned might not work, but the longer they waited the more likely it was that he would die. "His blood is dormant. Not even the moon brought his youki back out. He needs my youki to guide his out, to draw it from where it hides within his body."

Kagome nodded. "So, you have done this before?"

"No." He said plainly. "It may do nothing at all."

Heart sinking at that thought, Kagome brought up the knife. "So what do you need me to do?"

Sesshoumaru took the knife from her. "Open his mouth."

She did as told and held Inuyasha's mouth open, watching as Sesshoumaru held his wrist over his mouth and slashed quickly with the knife. His blood held none of the poisonous properties it usually did, which Kagome attributed to the fact that he appeared to be reigning in his youki. It flowed past Inuyasha's lips, but he did not swallow. She quickly began to rub his throat, and unconsciously his swallowing reflex worked. This continued for several minutes before Sesshoumaru pulled back, licking his own wrist and closing the wound before handing her back the knife. She inspected Inuyasha closely now, looking for any sign that his youki was returning.

There was nothing for several minutes, but suddenly a faint pulse came from his prone figure and several of the hairs on his head turned silver. It wasn't a full return to his normal self- but it was something. She looked up at Sesshoumaru, searching his expression for any hint of his thoughts. He gave none.

"Some of his hair has changed back. Does that mean that his youki is waking up?" She asked, getting the broth from next to the fire and trying to get Inuyasha to eat some of it.

"Hnn. I could not give him much youki. As a human, it would kill him. I will have to do this several times until his own youki heals enough to come out." Sesshoumaru said, leaning back against the cave wall and replacing mokomoko-sama around his shoulders. He felt quite exposed without his shirt, though the miko would have been practically naked without it. Momentarily he appreciated the flow of his clothing over her small form as she tended his brother, before averting his gaze to the monk, whose skin continued to grey by the hour. He would deal with the matter of his honor- returning the favor she bestowed upon him by shielding him from death in battle. Then he would return to his lands and she would never be thought of again.

"But he is improving. That is good. Any little bit of youki buys us time. It's not like I have a bottle of penicillin or anything." She said, turning to Sango to try to get some food in her before going to Miroku. She was afraid of what she would find when she checked his wounds again.

The day passed slowly as she tended her friends. Sesshoumaru remained mostly silent, but Kagome found the constant hum of his youki comforting. She was not alone, and suddenly the tasks before her seemed so much more manageable. She made two more trips for water, and each time Sesshoumaru stayed behind as a guardian. She was glad to give her powers some rest- holding a strong barrier at the mouth of the cave had been exhausting and she felt it was becoming more likely that she would need to use her powers to help Miroku. His fever was getting worse. Not even her aspirin was helping it much at this point. As the sun began to set, she removed the jerky she had left to cook from the smoker and decided to go to the river to get more meat. She had noticed Sesshoumaru's wounds healing slower than she would have expected. Perhaps some food for him would do him good. She had more than enough meat to share some with him, too. If it came to it, she could always go hunting again.

When she came back from the river where she had stored the meat, Sesshoumaru sniffed audibly. It was the most noise he had made since helping Inuyasha. "Miko. You were not gone long enough to kill and clean a deer. Where did you get that?"

She gave him a confused look. "What do you mean? I killed this deer yesterday. I had it stored in the river so that it would stay fresh in the cold."

Amber eyes pierced her as she approached the youkai with the choice cut she had chosen for him. She knew he preferred his meals raw, and this was his favorite part of the deer. Her spirits lifted a bit as she remembered Inuyasha yelling at him for stealing the best cut, even though Sesshoumaru was usually the one to find the evening meal during their time traveling together. She held out the meat and smiled as he lifted a clawed hand to take it from her. It felt good to be able to provide for him for a change. She knew he must be hungry- it had been almost a full day since he had found her and he didn't once leave the cave. "This is one of your tricks from the future world?" He asked curiously. She nodded. "Thank you," he said before taking a ravenous bite. She was right, he had been hungry.

She went about her work of preparing this next batch of jerky as her own cut of meat roasted above the fire. She set it aside when it finished cooking and continued to work on the jerky and preparing the bandages for her friends. Her stomach was growling audibly and she felt herself blushing, knowing that Sesshoumaru would hear it louder than a clap of thunder. She did not stop to eat, however. She wanted to tend her friends first and then she would take care of herself. Her arm throbbed and stung from the burns, but she pushed through the pain and continued to work.

If she stopped, she would have time to think of all the things she did not want to think about. She would have to face Miroku's poor state and the fact that she had yet to figure out how to help him. She would have to face the fact that Inuyasha's condition, while slightly more hopeful, had not medically improved at all. She would have to look at Sango, the friend she loved as a sister, and think about how she had yet to wake despite being without fever for almost a full day. She would have to tend to her own arm, which would be disfigured for the rest of her life and would likely make it impossible for her to properly wield her bow. She would return to being the defenseless woman she was when she first came to this era-

"Miko. Eat. Your stomach is thunderous." Sesshoumaru's voice broke through her thoughts and brought her back to the present. Kagome shook her head. Even doing menial tasks to keep her hands busy wasn't distracting her enough now.

"I can't stop, Sesshoumaru. There is still much to do. I have to go fetch some herbs as well. I am running out of medicine for their fevers and daylight will not last. The sun is almost set already." She said, getting up from her position to spoon broth into Miroku's mouth. He coughed immediately and the broth dripped out of his mouth, tinged a dark sticky red. He was getting so much worse and there was nothing she could do. Tears dripped down her face.

She knew she was working herself up and that she needed to calm down. She needed to rest and take care of herself, but her friends needed her so much more. She stood quickly, meeting the eyes of the disgruntled youkai across the cave. He glared at her, demanding silently that she stop and rest. She glared right back at him, grabbing her share of venison from beside the fire and taking a large bite, chewing viciously while walking towards the cave entrance. She had only a few minutes to find the herbs that she needed, and she could tell by the feeling of the battlefield nearby that the carrion youkai would soon be running out of their feast. They would disperse and she needed to be ready to fight them. Her arm stung and throbbed at the thought.

"Miko, where are you going?" She could tell by his tone that he was growing frustrated with her. 'That makes two of us,' she thought. She was frustrated with herself too. She could feel her nerves tearing her apart and she could not let that happen. Why had she been able to keep it together until today? Why was she falling apart now, when she actually had company- someone to help keep them safe?

"I have to pick herbs. I think I saw some by the stream earlier. I'm going to see if they're the right ones." She said, already walking quickly away from the cave. Before she knew it, the inuyoukai was in front of her, with her bow in his hand. She had not even heard him move.

"It is not safe to go alone. The youkai on the field will soon be dispersing and you are injured." His eyes glowed in the dying light and Kagome knew he was right. She would be no use to her friends dead, and she was not thinking rationally. She drew a deep breath. She had to keep herself sane, at least until her friends were ok. She did not take her bow from him, though. The fact that she could not draw it was clear as her arm continued to throb.

"Then come with me. It won't be but a few minutes." She said, continuing her quick walk to the stream. She knew that he was following her, as his youki continued its strong and comforting hum behind her. When they reached the stream, the sun was almost completely set and she only had a few minutes to locate the herbs that she thought she saw on her earlier trek, wishing she had thought to stop and get them earlier despite her arms being full of venison.

It was a quiet and peaceful moment, she thought, as she finally found what she was looking for. With relief, she carefully picked a few day's worth of the herbs, knowing that at least two of her friends would still have fevers that needed treating for the foreseeable future. Kagome took a moment to look at the herbs in her hands and breathe deeply of the fresh, cool air. She could feel the tension of her earlier panic attack draining from her body. Her arm still throbbed, her friends remained injured and unconscious in the cave, and the carrion youkai continued to linger in a foreboding aura against the edge of her senses. For now, though, she was safe.

She had survived the final battle, she had gotten her friends to safety, provided for them the last few days, and defeated a strong panther youkai with no help from anyone. She could do this. She was not Kagome, the useless schoolgirl who first fell through the well four years ago. She was Kagome the Shikon Miko, who fought alongside demons and completed the Shikon no Tama. She had the help of her youkai ally- the strongest youkai she had ever met. As hopeless as the situation seemed, she could and would do what needed to be done. She would not lose herself to nerves and fear, not after everything she had been through. For the first time in several days, she felt true peace within her soul and felt the well of her spiritual powers begin to replenish. She looked up at the stars, feeling the warmth of her powers under her skin, and silently thanked the Kami for lending her strength.

Sesshoumaru stood near Kagome in the clearing, wondering precisely what he was witnessing. The scent of panic and fear that had enshrouded her since she had woken that morning was fading, leaving the crisp scent of clean water and tang of ginger that he had grown accustomed to over the course of their previous travels together. The night was cool and pleasant, with peace finally coming over the land for the first time in years. With Naraku dead, he no longer felt the turmoil and constant chaos in the air. There was life and freedom once again, and it was thanks to this small human in front of him. Despite her weakness, she had accomplished more than most youkai that had outlived her by centuries.

He watched as she looked up to the sky, the last of the sun's rays caressing her face and the gentle breeze ruffling her hair, bringing more of her scent to his nose. Her skin began to glow a radiant pink, the spark of her powers igniting within her and filling the clearing with the smell of a lightning storm. Her aura washed over him and he could feel the peace in her soul. He was frozen, struck by the magnificence of this ordinary human who was enshrouded in his own scent. She was injured and exhausted, and yet she was radiant. It was several moments before he, the stoic and ever-unaffected Lord of the Western Lands, could look away.

The stars were beginning to come out and the locusts were singing in the twilight. In the corner of her eye, Kagome saw the last rays of the sun catch the silver of her companion's hair. She turned her head, catching his gaze for a brief moment and was struck by his beauty. The brilliant hues of the sunset sky caught his hair ablaze, the wind moving it about making it look like fire framing his pale face. His glowing eyes and markings reflected the dying light and she felt her heart pick up its pace in response. She had always known Sesshoumaru was handsome, but she had never seen him look so…indescribable. He was fantastic, otherworldly, and without a doubt the most beautiful man she had ever seen. She wasn't sure how long their eyes remained locked, but it was more than a few seconds before he glanced away, breaking the trance she had found herself in. Her powers calmed back down, though her hands were still glowing faintly as she stood and took her bow from his hand before walking past him, back towards the cave. Even if she could not draw her bow, she could still infuse it with her powers. She would not ever play the defenseless damsel again.

Sesshoumaru followed her retreating form, glancing down at the place she had touched his hand whilst retrieving her bow. His markings were glowing where their skin had brushed once again, a fact that he resolutely decided to ignore. It was too far out of the realm of possibility, particularly for one such as he.

—

Upon returning to the cave, Kagome quickly went about preparing a paste from the herbs she collected. Inuyasha and Miroku both continued to have a fever, and Sango was still unconscious. Her breathing was steady, as was her heartbeat, and her injuries were still improving. Kagome decided that she would not worry for the moment. That did not stop her from stretching her friend's legs and arms and turning her to ensure she would not get bedsores.

Inuyasha and Miroku's injuries were still far too severe for her to be able to turn them or stretch their limbs as she had with Sango. Sesshoumaru gave Inuyasha his blood once more, yielding a tiny whisper of Inuyasha's own youki and a few more silver hairs. For Kagome, it was enough progress to renew her hope once more.

Miroku was not so fortunate. Any attempt at feeding him broth was now met by immediate vomiting, and there was more of his blood in the vomit. His skin continued to grey and she feared the worst. She fed him some of the paste, which seemed to have no effect. Her powers were still exhausted, but she attempted to heal him as she had herself and Inuyasha. The wounds closed a bit more, but his blood was still toxic and she had no idea how to help him. For now, he was losing less blood and she had to hope that it would be enough. She washed her hands carefully, inspecting her own wounds at last. The one on her side was improving greatly, as was the one on her shoulder. She suspected that had a lot to do with using her powers to try and heal Miroku. The burn on her arm, however, was still as raw and blistered as it had been that morning. It was becoming more painful, if that were possible, and she had to bite back tears and whimpers as she applied some of Rin's salve to it. As it was, she could not stand to put bandages over it because the pain was excruciating. She could not take any of the medicine that she had in her backpack in case her friends needed it.

She bid goodnight to Sesshoumaru, who had been mostly silent for the rest of the night and had taken up watch at the mouth of the cave. She was met with a "hnn" in response. She lay down on a pile of leaves she had collected for her bed and almost immediately fell into a dreamless sleep.

Sesshoumaru waited for the sound of her breathing to even out before going over to inspect her wound. He had heard her labored breathing and pained whimpers while she had tended herself. Rin was not due back until the next day, and even so she had said there was little she could do about the burn. Her fragile human skin would never grow back correctly. She would not be able to use her wrist properly. She was young, though past the age of adulthood. She did not deserve this mark after everything that she had done. He had escaped the battle with Naraku unscathed because of this woman. It was a matter of his honor to do what he could to ensure she was unscathed as well, was it not?

Not giving another thought to what he was about to do, Sesshoumaru gently held her arm in his hands. She remained deeply asleep, likely thanks to her level of exhaustion. Though he knew little of human medicine, he knew of youkai medicine. He knew that his saliva had healing properties. He also knew that it was not appropriate to ask a human miko, ally or not, if she would like him to lick her wound to ensure it would heal. Without further consideration, he bent down and ran his tongue gently along the edge of the wound. She hissed in her sleep but did not wake, and the wound immediately began to look better. The angry red shade of the burn faded to a slightly less angry pink, and the miko's muscles began to relax further, as though she had been feeling the pain even in her sleep.

Sesshoumaru frowned at that. Did humans feel pain in sleep? He did not know.

He continued to clean her wound with his tongue until it had all been bathed in his healing saliva. The bitter tang of the salve in his mouth was unpleasant, but he felt that his honor was protected. He only hoped she did not question her own rapid healing too much. It would be most…uncomfortable…for her to know that he had licked her. It was unlike him to allow someone else to invade his person, let alone for him to do so to another.

But it was a matter of honor.

With that thought, Sesshoumaru resumed his place at the mouth of the cave, watching for the carrion youkai he could feel approaching. The battlefield must now be picked clean. He allowed more of his youki to permeate the air around him. Most of the youkai would take that as the warning it was and would avoid him at all cost. Any that were stupid enough to ignore it would be dispatched easily enough.

The stars marched across the sky as the breaths of his human allies and hanyou brother remained steady through the night. That is, until the early hours of the morning when one of them just…stopped.

A/N: I know, I make you guys wait forever for an update and then I left it at a cliffhanger. Fear not! I am back and at the writing once more. It's been a crazy few months and this chapter was particularly difficult to write, but I'll do my best to keep the updates rolling in.


	4. 4 Radiantly Human

Bound by Honor

By: CelestialGolden

Chapter 4: Radiantly Human

Kagome was roused by a low timbre, forcing its way past her slow and haunting dreams. Her eyes opened as if through a fog, this having been the first truly restful sleep she had gotten since the defeat of Naraku three days prior. It was only once her gaze met that of the demon before her that she realized the urgency in his voice. Something was wrong.

"Miko. The monk's heart has stopped beating."

Her stomach dropped with dread at his words. She couldn't let Miroku die, not after everything that he and Sango went through to finally be together. She jumped up from her spot by the fire, ignoring the painful protest of her aching muscles and still healing wounds. Her arm continued to throb, but Kagome paid it no heed. Running over to Miroku, she saw that his skin was deathly pale, his lips turning from grey to blue, and his chest no longer rising and falling in the stuttering breaths he had been taking. Without a second thought to the toxicity of Miroku's blood, Kagome immediately placed both of her hands on his chest, pushing down in a quick cadence, counting to 30 before pressing her lips to his and exhaling deeply into his lungs. The bitter tang of whatever was poisoning his blood cut her tongue, but she continued on. It would be something she would worry about later. She could not let Miroku die. Not today. Not after everything he and Sango had gone through to be together.

Sesshoumaru's voice behind her made her push down harder on his chest, hoping somehow she could bring her friend back from the brink. "Miko," he said, "The pallbearers of the underworld are here. Tenseiga does not wake."

Her backup plan of Sesshoumaru reviving her friend would not work. She needed Miroku's tired heart to resume its beating. "Miroku, don't you die on me." She said breathlessly, as she continued her frantic pace. It must have been minutes, but felt like hours, until her taiyoukai companion spoke once more.

"His heart is beating again. It is weak, but it beats." She gave little thought to the awe in his tone, focused as she was on witnessing for herself the steady rise and fall of his chest and feeling the slow throb of his pulse against her fingers. She sighed in relief, though she knew it was only a matter of time before he lost the battle once more. Without medicine to treat the poison, she had only one more option to pursue. It needed to be now, as she was beginning to feel the effects of the poison she had just exposed herself to. Her lips and tongue burned, the tingling spreading through her face. Soon she knew she would be sick, too.

"Sesshoumaru. The poison in his body is demonic. I'm going to try to purify it. I would have tried before, but I didn't have the strength. My powers were exhausted." She said softly, turning to look at him and hoping that he would be willing to do as she asked without question. There wasn't much time. "I need you to take Inuyasha and Kirara away from here. My powers and body are still exhausted from the battle. I can't guarantee I won't lose control again."

Sesshoumaru only nodded, his amber eyes cutting to the blisters forming around her mouth. "You are poisoned too."

Kagome nodded, trying to ignore the slow burning through her system and the fear winding its way around her heart. "That's why it has to be now. If it doesn't work- if my powers can't cure the poison, will you make sure my friends are safe?"

"Hnn."

That was all the answer she needed. "Thank you. I'll count to 30 after you leave."

Sesshoumaru picked up the slumbering neko youkai that had been curled up by Kagome's backpack, placing her on Inuyasha's chest. He carefully lifted his brother, blankets and all, into his arms and made his way out of the cave. Once he was out of view, Kagome placed her hands on Miroku's chest, heedless of the blood still oozing from his body and seeping onto her skin. The damage had already been done. Taking a deep breath, she began to summon her powers from their place inside her soul, focusing on the task at hand and doing her best to ignore the dark and icy fear that lurked at the back of her mind. Now was not the time to be afraid. Now was the time to trust that the Kami were not finished with her yet.

"One…two…three….four…"

—

Sesshoumaru perched in the tallest tree he could find and looked down at his sleeping brother's pained face, distracting himself from his jumble of thoughts by attempting to feed him more of his youki. He was rewarded with a faint pulse and a few more silver hairs. The pulse seemed to disturb Kirara, as the Neko growled but did not wake. The wounds that Kagome had carefully treated were healing, but it was a very slow process as the gashes were deep and the small youkai seemed to have exhausted herself. He could feel her youki still nestled in her tiny form, curling in on itself and trying to recuperate. He would have to instruct the Miko on how to sense these things.

If she was successful in purifying the poison.

Though she was once the ally of his bitter enemy, Kagome had become a rather enjoyable companion. She was not intolerable, though her inane chatter sometimes drove him to frustration. She had been his only source of amusing conversation whilst traveling with his brother and their group. The others were too afraid to approach him, and Inuyasha was not one for intellectual conversations. He thought of the miko's actions, immediately jumping to the monk's rescue without concern for herself. The foolish woman had now put her own life in danger. If she could not cure this poison, then there was nothing he could do to help her. His irritation at this fact nearly overrode his awe at how she had brought a man back from the dead with only her hands. She did not use her powers, she had no youki of her own, no sword to cut through the pallbearers of the underworld, and yet she had cheated death on this night. Now she was attempting to cheat it again.

He felt the rise of her powers as a flame on the edge of his senses. He had carried her youkai companions nearly a mile from the cave, far enough that her powers would not kill him, but not so far that he could not hear her scream if she were attacked. He could be back in seconds, should she need his assistance.

For a moment he wondered how she had come to earn his concern, but the faraway hum of her powers reminded him that he owed her his life. The fact that she protected him now solidified that he should continue to protect her until she and her companions were once again able to continue without his assistance. He could never let it be that anyone under his protection was harmed. Somehow, he thought that Kagome would likely still be carrying on without his assistance. She would have awoken after her fight with the panther youkai, stitched up her own wounds, and continued to care for her friends without him. The confidence he had in these thoughts surprised him.

He had always thought humans to be weak, their inner light barely enough to sustain them through their short lives. Why was it that this human, one who had hidden behind his brother upon their first meeting, one he had assumed to be just like the rest, seemed to radiate with an inner strength greater than that of most youkai?

He sat pondering these things as the horizon began to grow brighter, signaling the coming dawn. Inuyasha began to shiver as the dew settled upon the forest. Twice he had to summon his youki whip to dispatch a carrion youkai. Despite the beacon of the Shikon no Tama from the cave, none of the youkai seemed to venture there. The hum of the miko's strong powers was almost as strong a warning as his own youki. Hours passed, and he felt a blast of purification powers from the cave, a shockwave that thundered through the earth and shook the leaves of the trees. Screams of lower youkai echoed through the forest as they met a sudden end to the raw strength of her unleashed powers.

As silence fell, Sesshoumaru gathered his brother and the Neko to his chest once more, jumping from branch to branch to see what had become of the woman who sought to cheat death.

—

Kagome wasn't sure how long she was in a healing trance. The sounds of the night had long ago fallen away, all of her senses turned inward towards Miroku and herself. She pushed her powers into his body, feeling the gentle presence of her friend for the first time since the battle. His powers came forward with hers, so weak that she almost missed their presence, but there nonetheless. She felt the stutter of his weakened heart, the slow trickle of this thickened blood through his veins, the shudders of his ragged breathing. She felt all of these things as if she were him, and the pain he was going through was immense. For a moment she was nearly overwhelmed.

The pulse of a faraway familiar aura brought her mind back into focus. She was here to heal Miroku. How would she heal something if she didn't know what it was? His heart skipped a beat, and she pushed her conscious self further into him, knowing that she would soon be out of time. She slid her powers through his blood, noting with hope that it sizzled and came clean as she passed by. After what felt like hours of searching, her soul beginning to ache with the effort of using her already abused and exhausted powers, she found the darkness that had been poisoning him. A terrifying, tarry blackness was sitting in his formerly cursed hand. It roiled and bubbled as she drew her powers close to it, knowing that her task had only just begun.

Pooling her powers deep within herself, she reached out a tendril of her power to touch the darkness. Pain seared through her body, and a maniacal laugh echoed in her head.

Naraku. She would recognize that voice anywhere.

The last of the evil youkai's soul was sitting in Miroku's formerly cursed hand, slowly poisoning him from the inside out. At the realization, Kagome began to feel the dark aura within her friend and within her own body. The only way that she could save her friend and herself was to completely purify the last part of Naraku from the world.

'You will not take my friend from me. You will not take away the rest of our lives and our hope for the future. You are dead and gone, Naraku. It is time that you are finally banished to hell.' Though her physical mouth did not move, the words penetrated the darkness of the poison that had begun to fog her mind. She did not wait for the aura to respond in kind, as she took the powers she had collected and shoved them all into Miroku's hand, watching as the darkness imploded on itself and the evil aura fizzled with a scream and attempted to jump into the air to find a new host.

The fission of her powers against the dark aura was the most painful thing she had ever felt in her life, so painful that her body was momentarily frozen in a silent scream. Though her body could not move, her soul was still capable and did not feel any pain. She allowed her soul to separate from the pain-from her own body and follow the aura into the air. Knowing that her youkai friends would be safe, she made no attempt to control it as her powers sparked and sizzled into the air around her. With a stuttering breath, Kagome allowed the full strength of her powers to detonate, feeling the rush of strength and the ringing in her ears as a bright explosion, louder and stronger than that of the final battle, flew outwards from herself. She heard the screams of nearby youkai as the shockwave continued through the forest. Her soul reconnected with her body and the pain she had been feeling, though dulling by the second as the evil aura was shredded to nothingness, was once again at the forefront of her mind.

For a few minutes, all she knew was light and the smell of a lightning storm.

Her hands, still resting on Miroku's chest, were the first part of her body she became fully aware of. Eyes still closed, Kagome quickly pushed her exhausted powers into his body to check that she had eliminated all of the darkness from him. It caused excruciating pain in her chest, but she had to make sure. She saw nothing but light in Miroku's body, and as she pulled back into herself, she felt a rush of gratefulness and the familiar warmth of her friend's spiritual energy.

She opened her eyes next, knowing that the growing dizziness would not likely get better and that she was about to pass out. Before her stood Sesshoumaru, with Inuyasha still in his arms and an indecipherable look on his normally stoic face. She could only manage a brief, breathy laugh, as she felt her body start to sway. She felt her mouth move as the dark spots swam in her vision, and as her consciousness faded she could have sworn she heard a laugh.

—

Sesshoumaru watched as once more the miko lost consciousness in front of him. It was no surprise, after the immense power that had thundered from her small form, that she would be beyond exhausted and her body would demand immediate rest. It was the words that left her mouth as her body fell that made him laugh out loud for the first time in almost a century. "Sesshoumaru-sama, I cannot contain myself."

He knew that she must have succeeded in her task, if she was in good enough spirits to joke. Sniffing the air in the cave, he picked up the tang of lightning, as her powers always left, the gentle tea scent of the monk, and the crisp clean water and ginger of the miko. There was no scent of sickness from her, the blisters that had formed on her mouth were gone. The monk's face was no longer grey, some pink had returned to his cheeks and his breathing was steady, his heartbeat strong. He no longer smelled of rotting blood and his wounds no longer oozed.

Placing his brother back in his spot, he slashed his hand and fed Inuyasha some more of his blood. This time, the pulse that came from him was stronger, and almost 1/4 of his hair turned from midnight black to silver. His ears, fangs, and claws had yet to return, but his fever was beginning to abate. From across the cave, he could hear the miko's teeth chatter in the cold. The fire had gone out and the chill of the early morning had fully taken hold. Kagome's bedding was cold and damp from the dew, and he could not put her back in it and expect her to feel any semblance of warmth.

He restarted the fire with the aid of one of Kagome's matches, remembering her long explanation of how they worked. She knew many words that he did not, which was not an easy feat for anyone to accomplish. As a Son of the West, he had been given many lessons and was well educated. The Miko was the only one he had ever met who could teach him things that he did not know. It was after this first lesson in "chemistry" as she had called it that he had first gained a grudging respect for her. Looking down at her shaking and pale form, Sesshoumaru made his first selfless decision in many centuries. He did not try to excuse it or blame it on his need to maintain his honor. She was cold, and he was warm.

He resumed the spot along the wall of the cave that he had come to call his own, pulling the unconscious miko into his arms. Quickly her shivering ceased and her muscles relaxed into true slumber. She had exerted more strength in the course of three days than any youkai he had ever known. She deserved the first truly restful sleep she would get in as many days. He tucked his loaned haori more firmly around her sleeping form, trying to ensure she stayed warm. Mokomoko-sama drifted from his shoulder of its own accord, wrapping around the miko's exposed legs. She snuggled deeply into his side in her sleep and his instincts growled in contentment.

Hours passed and the monk's scent grew stronger and cleaner, the sickness finally purged from his body and death driven back by the miko sleeping next to him. The technique she had used to bring him back- beating his heart for him and pushing her own breath into his body, was one he had never seen before and he assumed was something from her future world. The knowledge she possessed surprised him, and he could not help but feel the respect he had for her grow at the thought that there were likely many more miracles within her capabilities that he could not comprehend.

His brother's scent began to change as well, as the sun marched its way across the sky and the cool morning mist broke into afternoon sunshine. The breeze on the air was still chilly, and thus the fire in the cave remained lit and the miko stayed snuggled in his robes and mokomoko-sama. Faintly, Inuyasha began to smell faintly less human than before, and the sickness that had blanketed him like a fog began to dissipate.

It was as the sun began its descent in the sky that the miko woke from her slumber, her stomach grumbling loudly. Her eyes gazed up at him, blue and flecked with confusion before embarrassment permeated her scent. He pulled back his mokomoko-sama and released his hold on her, and before she could speak the taijiya groaned loudly, announcing her return to consciousness. Kagome rushed to her feet, forgetting her own exhaustion. She wavered on her feet, and he steadied her before she had the chance to fall. He did not miss her small "thank you" as the dizziness passed and she made her way to her friend. He sensed some carrion youkai growing close to the cave, despite the warning of his youki. He turned and left the cave to dispatch the threat. Rin would be returning soon. He hoped that she fetched more clothing for the miko as he had requested. It was not proper for her to wander about in his robes, at least not when there were others to…misunderstand his intentions.

—

Kagome woke feeling warm and content for the first time in a long while. Her body was sore, but not overwhelmingly so, and the well of her spiritual powers was replenished once again. Though she could feel that using her powers much in the next few days was out of the question, she had not damaged her soul by overusing them as she had feared. Even if she had, it would have been worth it to save Miroku. 'Wait…' she thought 'if I'm sleeping, then they haven't been looked after!'

At the thought of her friends, her eyes popped open and were met with the intense gold eyes of her taiyoukai ally. She blinked, confused. He was…awfully close? Hadn't she passed out next to Miroku?

She was warm…very warm. The silk of his haori was soft against her skin and the smooth and cool caress of his hair soothed the rapidly heating skin on her cheek. She was…curled up against Sesshoumaru? How had that happened? The soft and fluffy warmth on her legs was his mokomoko-sama. She was completely invading his personal space, and he didn't seem particularly bothered by it. She was frozen in confusion, feeling like she needed to say something to break the tension of unexpectedly awakening in the arms of the Lord of the Western Lands, but she couldn't think of anything appropriate to say. The only thing running through her mind was the absurd future pickup line "So, you come here often?"

Sango groaned from her makeshift bed, and Kagome was quickly snapped out of her thoughts. She rushed to stand, but felt the blood drain from her head. A wave of dizziness made her pause, but strong hands steadied her for a moment. She thanked the youkai behind her quietly, already recovering from her head rush, and hurried to Sango's side just as her friend's eyes opened. She sensed Sesshoumaru leaving the cave, but knew that he was staying in the area and thus was a bit relieved to not have to face the awkward tension again anytime soon.

"Sango?" Kagome said, unsure if her friend was truly awake.

Sango blinked and looked around the cave, attempting to sit up. Kagome pushed her back down for a moment, wanting to make sure she was strong enough to talk before attempting sitting. "Kagome? What…what happened?" Sango said softly, clearly confused.

Kagome found Sango's wrist with her fingers, feeling for a pulse to make sure that it was in normal limits. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Sango blinked up at the cave ceiling, trying to remember. "We…we were camping outside a clearing and then…Naraku! Kami, he escaped again, didn't he?! Wait…Miroku! Where…" She tried once again to sit up, and this time Kagome helped her into the position and propped her up against the cave wall.

"Miroku is ok. He's injured too, but he's recovering. He hasn't woken up yet. Naraku is dead." Kagome watched her friend process that information, going over to the fire to put the broth on to boil and retrieving some jerky from the smoker. Now that Sango was awake it was important to get her to eat if she could stomach some food.

Sango reached greedily for the canteen in Kagome's hands, intending to drink deeply from the canteen. Kagome pulled it back from her mouth. "Go slowly. You've been asleep for a long time." She took a few more conservative sips before handing the canteen back and accepting the jerky, chewing slowly. Her mind was racing at the information Kagome was telling her. How long could she possibly have slept? It was evening, and the last thing she remembered it was morning, so a few hours?

"How long was I out?" Sango asked, glancing forlornly in Miroku's direction. He looked ok from here, but she wanted to check on him desperately.

Kagome noticed her friend's preoccupation but didn't comment on it. "Three days."

Sango's eyes widened. How could she have been out for that long? That was far longer than she had ever been unconscious after an injury. She must have been in very bad shape. "Three days?! No wonder I feel awful…How did we get here?"

Kagome brought the now steaming broth from the fire, producing a spoon and cooling it a bit before offering it to Sango to eat while they spoke. "I woke up in the battlefield and everything was dead. I sort of…found you all and brought you here. Kirara helped carry Miroku and Inuyasha."

Sango paused. Kagome was of a slighter build than herself. While not weak by any means, she had just fought long and hard in the battle. How had she summoned the energy to carry her? "You…you carried me here? And cared for us all for three days? You're injured too! And…what are you wearing?" She glanced down at herself. "I'm wearing your clothing."

Kagome nodded. "The snake youkai's venom caused a lot of swelling and I didn't want to put anything too constricting on you, so I put you in my pajamas. Your arm is still a bit too swollen for your armor, so you'll have to content yourself with my pajamas for a few days longer."

Sango attempted to spoon the broth into her own mouth, but her arms were incredibly weak and she struggled to get the first sip. It was embarrassing, being so weak she could not feed herself. Kagome did not comment, but took the spoon from her hand and began to hold it up for her to use. Already she was feeling sleepy again, but she fought it. It was too early to go back to sleep. She had only been awake for five minutes! She wanted to distract herself from her exhaustion. "Kagome-chan, you never explained what it is that you're wearing."

If she hadn't been looking carefully for a response, Sango might have missed the blush that colored her friend's face. "It's um…Sesshoumaru's haori. He loaned it to me. I didn't have any clothing left after making all these bandages." Kagome very much wished the conversation would turn from her being clothed in the taiyoukai's garments. It was reminding her of how warm and gentle his arms had been a few moments before.

"Did Sesshoumaru stay with us all after the battle? That's very unlike him." Sango said, fighting back a yawn and struggling weakly against Kagome's hands guiding her back to laying down on her blankets once more.

Kagome smiled at her friend's vain attempt to feign wakefulness. In reality it was impressive that Sango had managed to sit up and have a full conversation after waking from a 3 day coma. "He showed up after a panther youkai attacked the camp. I'll tell you about it next time you wake up. You need to rest and get better. It's a long journey back to Edo."

Sango nodded, the throbbing of her wounds and fuzziness in her head finally convincing her that sleep was a very good idea. "Okay. Night, Kagome-chan."

"Goodnight, Sango-chan." Before the words had even left her mouth, Sango was once again asleep.

Kagome stood and sighed deeply. It was comforting that at least one of her friends had woken and was well on her way to recovery. All that was left was for Inuyasha's youki to return and fight the infection, for Miroku to heal from the damage done to his body and awake from his coma, for them all to get into traveling condition, and for them to make the 3-day trek back to Kaede's village in Edo.

Oh, Kami, were they not out of the woods yet.

She checked on Miroku, relieved to see that he no longer had a fever and his wounds had finally begun to close. She used her powers to check once more that he had no remnant of the dark aura in his body. Her chest ached with the effort of channeling her powers while exhausted. She hoped that Sesshoumaru planned to stay a few days longer, as she was not in fighting condition with her miko abilities down for the count. Kagome spoon fed him some of the broth, knowing it was the first bit of nourishment he had managed to keep down for two full days. Now that his blood was no longer toxic she took the time to carefully clean and re-dress his wounds. She hoped he would wake up soon.

Kagome then went to check on Inuyasha and was pleased to see that there was much more silver in his hair and a small bit of youki in his aura. It was only a sliver, but it seemed to be making a difference. Though he still had a fever, it was not as high as it had been before and the infection in his leg seemed to be improving. She fed him some of the herbed paste she had made the day prior and cleaned and drained the infected wound as well as she could. She managed to feed Inuyasha the last of the broth and knew she would need to make more. Her stomach grumbled loudly and she grabbed a piece of jerky from the smoker before sitting down to assess her own wounds for the first time that day.

Her side was throbbing slightly, but the wound had sealed closed. It wouldn't bleed again and there was no longer a need for the tight wrapping she had used on her stomach. She had very few bandages left, so she lightly coated the wound with a salve and loosely wrapped it with the same bandage she had used before. The claw marks on her collarbone and shoulder were sealed as well, though they hurt more than the wound on her side. She applied salve there as well before finally revealing the wound she was most afraid to see- her arm.

Though it had never ceased hurting, she had reached a point where she could ignore the pain and focus on other things. She was surprised when she looked at the previously blistered and disfigured skin to see that it had healed significantly. The blisters were gone, replaced by thick scabs. What was bare and oozing plasma was now merely pink and irritated. There was no way she healed this way on her own. The pain was still excruciating, but the wound looked as though it had achieved weeks of healing in the span of one day. Was this her powers at work? She couldn't normally achieve any healing like this without hours of concentration.

The mystery was one that bothered her greatly, but ultimately she decided that she couldn't solve the puzzle right at that moment. She put more of the salve on the burn and tightened Sesshoumaru's haori back over her torso. The silk had cooled from the minutes it had been off of her skin, and she sighed at the soothing feeling of the material on her back. She was honestly a little sad that she would have to return this cloth to her youkai ally.

Kagome decided to make the best use she could of the remaining hours of daylight and set out to find some root vegetables for more stew and to retrieve the last of the venison from the stream for preserving and use in a new broth. She remembered to grab her bow and quiver of arrows, her heart much lighter knowing that she might actually be able to draw her weapon now. As she walked to the stream, Kagome took a few moments to enjoy the cleanliness of the air and the peace of the forest. Sesshoumaru had clearly been exterminating the carrion youkai around, as there were no malevolent auras in the vicinity. When she came to the stream, she saw that the net she had woven contained several fish. She gladly retrieved and cleaned them with her knife, putting the filets in with the last of the deer meat she had saved. Nearby there was a small patch of vegetables and Kagome could only assume there must have once been a village or settlement here, for there to be so many herbs and root vegetables growing nearby. She collected a fair amount for a new stew, and carried her haul back to the cave.

When she arrived, she was greeted with an enthusiastic Rin. "Kagome-sama! I'm so pleased to see that you are alright!"

Kagome placed her burden on the cave floor in time to receive a warm hug from the girl. "I'm doing quite well Rin, thanks to you! You did a wonderful job treating my wounds from that panther youkai."

Rin blushed with the compliment. "Thank you, Kagome-sama. I am still learning. I have brought some more healing supplies from my teacher in the West. She is wonderful, and she even gave me some scrolls to study!"

Kagome smiled as she began to prepare her stew and the fish for their dinner. She was glad for the addition of the fish. She had been growing quite tired of venison. "That's great! I wouldn't mind taking a look at them myself. Healing in this era is a little different from where I come from. I'm still unfamiliar with some of the herbs that are used here."

Sesshoumaru was seated in his usual spot and had been silent thus far. She hoped that the earlier awkwardness had passed. He had only done what he could to ensure her warmth after she passed out from treating Miroku. There was no reason for her to feel weird about it, right? She was sure he hadn't meant anything by it. This was the ever-stoic ice prince, Sesshoumaru.

Rin went to Ah-Un's saddlebag, retrieving a tightly wrapped package and presenting it to Kagome. "Kagome-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama requested that I bring this back for you."

"Oh?" She couldn't help but ask, her eyes searching the taiyoukai's gaze. As usual, his face was impassive and she was unable to read his expression. She accepted the package from Rin, a smile spreading across her face in response to the girl's infectious enthusiasm. The package was wrapped in the finest silk. As she untied it, she felt the material slide through her fingers like cool water. She took a seat near the fire, letting the silk flow open to reveal a bundle of clothing inside. Spreading the haori open, it revealed a beautiful design. The collar had the same hexagonal flower design that was on Sesshoumaru's own clothing, while the material was an iridescent silver. It gleamed like metal in the firelight and was obviously youkai in origin. The collar came together with yellow ties in the front and on the back was a large crest. The hakama were the same blood red as the flower design and were of heavier fabric than the haori.

There were even boots in the package, similar to Sesshoumaru's and the perfect size for her feet. They were made of a supple leather, softer than anything she had ever felt in the feudal era. They would be far better than the crude sandals she currently wore on her feet, her sneakers having long been worn and gone. Kagome was speechless. This was clothing of far finer quality than anything she had ever received. It had its own aura, though it seemed to be waiting for something. She looked at Sesshoumaru once more, confused as to why he would give her such a gift.

"Sesshoumaru…I don't know what to say. I can't accept this, it is too much-" she was cut off when his eyes narrowed.

"The West can afford such. It is nothing." He said evenly, though she sensed a challenge in his words. "It is improper for a woman to be unclothed. It is even more improper for a woman under my protection to be such. You will accept this Sesshoumaru's gift."

Kagome blinked. That was the most she had ever heard the Lord say in one breath. Egotistical and assuming as it was, she found she was grateful for his thoughtfulness. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama."

A girlish squeal from her left reminded Kagome that Rin was still present, and the excited babbling that followed was a welcome distraction from the reddening of her own cheeks. She began preparations for the evening meal and retrieved the gifted clothing from its bundle by the fire, excusing herself for a few minutes to change. Outside the cave, it was a crisp twilight. The moon was bright and lit her way to the nearby trees she planned to use as cover, though she knew there to be no prying eyes. Her old clothing felt like sandpaper coming off of her skin, despite having been scrubbed two days prior. She felt grimy just looking at it and wished she had the luxury of bathing before changing into the pristine robes she now possessed. The area was still far too dangerous, as she sensed several carrion youkai nearby and was not willing to risk a fight or injury without need. Sesshoumaru was there and would protect her, but there was no need to be reckless or stupid.

The new hakama flowed cooly along her skin as she pulled them up and into place. She had never worn such comfortable clothing before. The chill of the night quickly faded, however, as the clothing seemed to sense the temperature and warmed against her skin. The aura of the cloth changed to match her own and she felt something snap into place. It felt as though these clothes were made just for her. The under robes went on similarly and the haori warmed against her cheek as she snuggled her face into the fabric. She felt as though she was dressing in incredible finery and hoped that she would not dirty or damage it.

When she slid on the boots and tucked her hakama into them, she felt warm for the first time since the battle. Her friends were safe, all were healing and out of the danger of immediate death, she had company and people to talk to as she was caring for them, and she now felt human again in clothes that were not essentially dirty rags. She felt better than human, in fact. She felt…otherworldly in these clothes.

Rin's gasp as she re-entered the cave led her to believe that perhaps she looked otherworldly as well. "Kagome-sama, you look so beautiful!

Kagome blushed as she knelt to serve her human companion some of the stew that had been bubbling away on the fire. "Thank you, Rin-chan. These must be the best clothes I've ever worn."

Though she knew Sesshoumaru would not eat the stew, she took him the last raw cut of the venison that she had saved for him. He reached out an elegant clawed hand to take it and she met his golden eyes. "Thank you for the gift, Sesshoumaru-sama. I am grateful."

"Hnn." Was his only reply, though she could have sworn she saw his lips curve upward at the corners.

A/N: Hi everyone, I'm back! I'm sorry this chapter took so very long to write. I had a bit of writer's block going on for a long time. I'm back and ready to continue this story where I left off. Sorry to leave it on a cliffhanger so long! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story. I'm excited to continue writing it.


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